The Royal Prophecy
by Dawn Adkins
Summary: Alice has made a deal with a strange man in order to live, but she's not even sure who he is. She later wakes up on a beach with no memory of her past and no idea where she is. Can Alice discover her past and find her future? Could it turn all of Pinata Island upside down? Rated M for use of Language and possible parts later on.
1. Chapter One: Trouble In Paradise

Chapter One : Trouble in Paradise

There was nothing, nothing but darkness that consumed everything and in the center of it was a young girl barely sixteen. She was unconscious but aware on a subconscious level. Her skin was sun kissed while her face was of a lighter color as if something had covered it for years. Dark brown hair fell straight past her shoulders to the middle of her back and banges covered her forehead not inches above her ocean blue eyes that were closed tight. She wore a black tank top and white jean shorts that appeared to be soaked though. She wore nothing on her feet. Though she was, in all reality, lying on her back here she was standing. Slowly her eyes moved under her lids before opening. She didn't remember much and what little she did remember was quickly drained away to her bleak surrounding. She couldn't feel, for if she could she would have known that the hand that passed in front of her was hers. She had no control, not over her body or thoughts, and she seemed to know it. The most evident thing that she was absolutely certain about was that she wasn't breathing, but she didn't know that she may never need to again. She forced her head to move slowly up her arm and to her shoulders and then to the rest of her body for her to be certain she even had one. Slowly she was beginning to take control again.

Effortlessly she gripped the front of her shirt in her hands and gave a weak, but one she could manage, squeeze. Water rang out almost as easily, but instead of falling with gravity it floated in the air moments before it vanished. That, however, was not the strangest to come. She attempted to turn to observe her surroundings and failed though she would think she had. Nothing made sense to her here. How _had she gotten here? How would she leave?_ With those thoughts came others. _Was she the one in control? _Then she wondered if she had even turned. _Was she the one thinking her thoughts? She couldn't force her body to breathe so how was she in control? _Her thoughts were racing with those and similar ones. It wasn't until she heard something that she stopped thinking and started believing.

What she heard was something that seemed familiar, as if she had heard it a thousand times before. What she heard was the crashing of waves against a sandy shore, the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze, the annoying buzzing of bugs and the soothing chirping of birds in the distance going about their business. To her it sounded like going home, though she didn't understand why. Almost without thought she turned tying to locate where the noise was coming from. That was when she noticed the difference in the darkness.

It _was_ consuming. One end seemed to be a never-ending darkness that would swallow anything that got too close. The other end was faded, so faded it was to a pure white light that hurt her eyes to stare at. With a little focus she was able to make out a thin sliver metal line that seemed to form an arch on each end, one that framed the light and one that framed the darkness. She knew then that there was something she could do, she had to do. They weren't even half her height but she had already begun to react to her immediate thought. She took one final look at the darkness wishing she knew what it held and took a single step towards the light.

Two things happened then. The first and most immediate one was a sensation that passed over her in waves. It started at her feet with a liquid she assumed to be sea water that washed over and retreated away from them. Then she could feel water draining from her shorts and onto the soft grainy sand she could feel under her fingertips. The last thing she could feel was the crushing weight of her tank top and the unbelievable weight of her hair forcing her head firmly in place. After that she didn't feel anything but the movement of her body. She had gained complete control.

The second thing that happened was after she had taken another step. After that, it became a nightmare for the girl. She didn't look back until she had taken ten paces. When she did look back the darkness had followed her. She began walking again only to stop another ten paces to look back with an eerie feeling. The darkness had followed her again. She began walking again towards the light stopping at a further distance before looking back again. Not only had the darkness followed her again, it had drawn closer while the light hadn't moved an inch. She began walking at a brisk pace then not looking back until she had doubled her distance. She didn't stop this time and neither did the darkness that drew closer by the second. The darkness was near her height now, minus a few inches or so. This time the girl quickened her pace to a run. Slowly the light shrank away from her. Within minutes she felt hard warm breathing upon the back of her neck and when she side-glanced to look behind her a thousand gray and ghost-like hands burst from the darkness. Ice cold fingers wrapped around her body and stone hard nails dug into her skin painlessly as her scream was lost within her throat. They grabbed her in the most awkward ways. Arms wrapped around her breast, between her legs and around her thighs, hands grabbed the pockets of her shorts and the sides of her shirts and the touch of both chilled her deeper than bones. Still she fought against them as the light found itself farther and farther away. She didn't stop struggling until a hand had found itself tangled within her hair and tugged so hard strands of hair fell from her head to suspend in the air as her head whipped up towards the sky. She had felt no pain, and she looked at no sky.

What she saw wasn't darkness either. What she saw was a thin metal arch the color of silver half as wide as her hand that contained a light so bright that it burned her eyes to stare at it. With watering eyes she tilted her head down as the arms and hands retreated away. The white light looked soft, like plush fluffy clouds, and, as she stared at it, cleared as such. What she saw on the other side of the arch was something so horrible she would never be able to forget it. It was one of the worst sights she had ever, would ever, seen. Sadly, the white arch held nothing but truth, hard and cold but never false.

When the white light cleared it revealed an awful truth about the girl. Trees lined the background, strange but evident, and black and white creature-like things buzzed up and around as others flew or scurried along the soft lush grass underneath them. The grass broke in an uneven fashion to a soft grainy beach. An invisible breeze blew over the glistening sea water and washed up onto sun kissed feet, bare feet. Those feet lead to white jean sorts and then to a black tank top. It was a girl, a girl that was barely sixteen. It was the girl that stood on the other side of the arch looking down at her body. Her face was lighter in color as if something had covered it for years and her long dark brown hair laid in tangles around her head. Her banges were pushed back from her forehead and her ocean blue eyes were closed tight. Sea plants were tangled around her arms and legs as well as her throat and through her hair. The girl was dead.

The girl seemed to realize this as she backed away. The last thing she saw before the light drifted back was a black and white creature bird-like in appearance that circled her body before landing on her chest. That was it. She now felt as she looked, dead and washed up, as she reached the center of the two arches. Slowly she moved so she could look at both of them with a turn of her head then slid down an invisible wall. Tears were forming in her eyes as her hands slid easily through her hair. The girl was sixteen, she was young and she didn't know how to feel about death, so she reverted to her default sadness. Tears burst from her eyes as her head landed on her knees as she sobbed. She didn't try to hide it, why should she have? But because of this she did not see the movement to her right in the darkness.

Within the darkened arch things moved, lies and truths alike, until it took the form of a male figure. When he steeped out the girl didn't even notice his presence. His face was that of near perfection though he looked to be at least five or more years older than the girl. Dark black hair sat upon his head and soft grey eyes framed his face. A smile spread across his face when his gaze locked on her. His skin was pale but mostly covered by a black suit with matching shoes.

"Hello Alice." said a warm and welcoming male voice. She looked up wiping her red stained eyes to lock painfully upon him.

"How do you know my name?" she asked between sobs.

"We know _everything_ about you, Alice." said the same male voice that had come from the man in the black suit, but it had come from her left and it held nothing warm or welcoming but a stone cold icy tone. Alice turned her head to look at the newcomer her eyes slightly drying. The second was almost exactly like the first. He had the same features, the same lean and muscular build and they even presented themselves the same. However, where the first had black hair and a black suit, the first had snow white hair and suit that made him seem albino. He wore the first's grin with a side of secrets and when she turned to look at the first the smile was gone and hatred filled his soft grey eyes. Moments passed with their gazes locked on each other. It wasn't until a burning started in the girl's chest that their gazes switched from each other to her. They noticed instantly and the grin swapped from the second to the first.

With nothing but compassion and understanding the first spoke, "Alice," he began, "I've got a very important question to ask you." Alice nodded her head as if to say that was okay. She had stopped crying but her eyes were still red rimmed.

"No." said the second before the first could ask, "You will not. She belongs to the mother, not you." He said with determination in his ice cold eyes.

"No, she still belongs to herself. She is still in control of her own future, of her destiny. You cannot have her; you will not take another from me." said the first with fury in his tone.

"She does not belong to you, you have said as much. She does belong to the mother, she is dead. The girl has lived an agreeable life; she deserves to be with her kind. Let her follow her stars."

"She still has a chance to go back!" shouted the first.

"Go back where?" Alice asked sheepishly and wincing at the first's shouts. "I'm dead; I don't even remember anything but my name. I don't remember where I came from. How can I go back like that?"

"Finally someone with some senses. See she knows. It's her destiny." said the second with complete aggravation.

"Alice, the dead cannot feel pain, so why can you?" asked the first squatting down and pointing towards her chest. "Your body is trying to breathe. Will you let it? Will you let yourself live?"

"What about my memories?"

"You have instincts. Those will keep you alive if you so choose to go back. As for your memories they may return with time."

"Or they may never return." Stated the second, "Come with me and I can guarantee you will know of your past."

"Even if your memories never return, you can replace them with new ones."

"Enough. She belongs to the mother. Come Alice."

"No! Screw the mother!" exploded the first as the second looked upon him with repulsion. "Alice you're young, death doesn't deserve you. Everyone ends up with the mother eventually, no matter what they follow. Alice you can live! You can have a fucking life! Would you give that up? If you don't wish to live for yourself, live for those that can never. Live for us, live for me." stated the first with a glint in his eye. "Are you ready to return?"

Alice glanced at the second who had not quite recovered from the first's disrespect for the mother, who ever that was. "It is your choice Alice." he said in nothing but a whisper, then a slightly bit louder, "But I shall warn you. Before you passed there were many who wished you dead, and those who hoped for your company have all forgotten you, all but one."

"You're lying. You must be." She said not wanting to believe what he said. How had she made so many enemies in a world she couldn't even remember? Should she even attempt to return?

"I cannot lie. It would forsake my very being." said the second.

"But I can." said the first. "I could lead you to multiple deaths, with me you gamble more than your life. The question is, are you ready to visit the casino?"

Alice stopped to think a moment before she looked at the second, "I'll take my chances."

"You're making a mistake." Said the second before he disappeared taking the white arch with him.

"Thank shit's sake. Finally he's gone." He said running a finger nail down his palm and then hers. "Now, time for your contract." He said as blood produced from both hands. He grabbed her hand hard, palm against palm. "Only death will set you free." He said pulling her to her feet and pulling her though the arch while she reacted with just a stunned expression. _What had she done?_

For Alice all she saw was darkness. Her first thought was that he had tricked her, but then she remembered he had also told her the risks. _You will tell no one of me_, his voice echoed in her head. Once the echoes faded the darkness began to fade to a fleshy pink. Without warning her chest burst in to burning flames and she could distantly feel liquid travel up her throat thanks to the pressure that sat upon her chest. Water filled her mouth and sprang out like a geyser as the pressure on her chest lifted and rolled to the right. Her head lolled to the left as she began a coughing fit that shook her entire body. When her body lay still she began to notice her surroundings. She was upon soft grainy sand she could feel and dig into with her fingertips. She could feel water draining from her clothes to escape back to the sea that washed over her feet. Her hair was heavy making her head hard to move. Slowly she managed so she could see the sand break unevenly to grass and then to the edge of a forest. Black and white creatures scurried, buzzed and flew within its cover and a ways of was the light making of a dirt path. She turned her head to the right getting a glimpse at the cotton white clouds that dotted the lovely blue sky. A breeze blew across her and ruffled the paper-mache of the creature that had rolled off her chest.

They studied one another as if they were a science project. The creature was bird-like in appearance resembling that of a parrot. Its wings were folded by its sides and three feather-like things sat upon its head and consisted of its tail feathers. Instead of talons it had nubs for feet.

_Who are you_? It questioned her.

Startled Alice scurried back only to have it follow her. The only thing she had managed to do was choke herself by placing her hand on the piece of seaweed that hung down from being twisted around her neck. "You're a talking bird?" she asked it carefully removing the seaweed.

_You understand me? _Alice nodded her head as she untangled her feet and arms from the mess leaving it in a pile beside her. _How_?

"I've got no fucking idea. How can you speak?" she questioned it. It didn't answer her. "What are you?"

_I a Parrybo_. It said proudly puffing up its chest and feathers.

"You got a name?"

_No_,

"Can I call you Parry?"

_Yes_,

"Do you know where we are?"

_Yes_, it said and continued to stare at her waiting for the next question.

"Can you tell me?"

_No_,

"Why not?"

_I show you_. Quietly Alice groaned, she was getting nowhere.

"Okay," She said pulling the last bit of seaweed from her hair. She stood up as Parry took to the sky leading her towards the dirt trail through the forest.

_You new gardener_? It asked her.

"Pardon?"

_You gardener_?

"I don't understand. You see…" Alice began but the first's voice echoed deep in her mind, _never speak of me. NEVER speak of what you have experienced._ "I don't remember much." she finished lamely.

_Leafos will know_.

"Who?"

_Leafos, everyone know Leafos_.

"I don't."

_You will_. It said and flew through low hanging branches and falling leaves with grace as Alice shuffled her feet though the dirt and avoided small newly growing trees. It was already apparent that the Parrybo wouldn't be of much help, but she enjoyed its company. Moments passed as she followed the creature quietly. _You have name_?

"Alice Royal," she replied as it landed on her shoulder.

It studied her face for a bit as she followed the dirt path. _You no look like Roario. You look human. You human_?

"I don't know what a Roario is, and yes I'm human." she said as if it should have been obvious right away.

_If you human why you no wear mask? You come for party_?

"I don't know, I don't remember. Maybe I had a mask I lost at sea. I just don't know." she said forcing tears back down. Parry took to the sky again leading her to the right of the fork in the road. Minutes passed with silence between the two. The forest was vibrant, colorful and full of noisy animals like any forest should be. It was soothing, very soothing. Suddenly a question struck Alice, "Are you a male or female?" she asked since she wasn't able to tell.

Parry landed on a small hanging branch and looked hard at her. Redness began to gather in the girl's cheeks as she began to blush. _It okay. We hear question often. I male. _'_Tis_ _hard to tell if male or female, but there is ways. First, coloring of the pattern on tag._

"You have tags?" she asked mystified sort of expecting a price tag or even a collar, which it didn't wear. Slowly the Parrybo turned to locate the tag on its leg, but it was white as If no color had plastered itself upon it.

_I wild, I never have pattern. Second, color around eyes; lighter female, darker male. Third, ask us. Most don't understand us though. _It said with a sigh_. You male or female_?

"Female." She replied. "You have no color though, you're black and white."

I _still wild. You tell when I reside. You want to meet Leafos_?

"Yeah, might as well." She said as they walked out of the forest. There was a huge plot of land that was marked off with a white chalk-like material in front of them. To the right was a mountain with a crazy looking machine or building that shot crates into the sky every few minutes. There were loops and buildings, something that kind of seemed like train tracks and a single path swung around the mountain to the tip. The land in front of her, however, was simple. Two houses sat planted into the side of the mountain one seemed incredibly small, but it had a swinging bridge from the roof to a look out post as if to watch out for something dangerous. The second was of a lovely yellow and orange color with splashes of purple, brown and blue. There were also paintings of things like leaves and people wearing masks on the side. There was only one door to the house that you could see from this side, but there was a small cellar like building built into the mountain as well that was attached to a half circle. However, they were just slightly out of the line with enough room to move around between the house and the land. The land within the white lines was simple. Nothing but a few trees a strange looking construction, and some piñatas with light orange, dark and green patterns upon its body that was built like a cylinder that shrank as it got away from the creatures little green eyes. Parry landed on her shoulder as soon as Alice crossed over the little white line. It didn't take her long to find someone. She passed the first tree but turned around when she heard someone getting up and closing a book. "Hi." Alice said with a weak smile.

"Hello." The woman replied staring intently at her. To Alice she looked kind of strange. She wore a green mask that covered everything but her mouth and chin but also allowed her hair to come out the top. Leaves decorated the tips of the mask and in the center of her forehead was something that looked like a hollowed yellow sun. She wore a top that fell loose past her chest and ended just above her belly button. The majority of the shirt was dark purple but it had a light orange and yellow triangle pattern at the bottom and striped sleeves of different shades of orange. She wore light green gloves that looked spiked and layered at the ends. Her pants were lavender with the dark purple of her shirt and an orange triangle pattern on the bottom of her pants and on her right knee was the dark purple again with a picture of a sun with a hollow center that sort of matched the one on her mask. Around her waist she wore a stripped belt made of two different oranges that was just resting on her hips from being looped around her a few times. She wore nothing on her feet. "I don't believe we've met before." the woman spoke to her.

"Alice Royal." Alice said holding out her hand.

"Leafos." Leafos said ignoring her hand. "Are you new here?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"Are you a Gardener? You look old enough to have already started."

"I don't even know where I am. I woke up on the beach," Alice said pointing towards the path she had taken to get here. "with no memories. All I remember is my name."

"Hmm… I suppose I could help you out. There isn't much to do in this garden sense the owner went on vacation." Leafos said before mumbling something under her voice that sounded resentful. "Okay, these are the basics you will need to know at this moment. One, your are on Piñata Island. Two, any area you see contained within the white chalk is owned property. Three, you'll need a garden if you hope to survive. Four, stay out of Dastardos, Pester and the ruffians way. Follow these and it should help keep you alive. Are you ready to start your new life?"

"Uh, sure." Alice agreed.

"The first thing you will need is a garden, rule three. There is one not far from here, on the other side of the mountain actually. I can sell it to you for twelve thousand eight hundred."

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money."

"Hmm… I can loan it to you until you pay it off."

"I suppose that could work. Yeah, I'll take it. Maybe it'll help recover my memory."

"The next thing you'll need is a mask or costume. You can't go around showing your face." Leafos stated.

"Okay," Alice agreed unsure if she should have been thankful or insulted.

"Petula will help you there. Come on." Leafos said grabbing her hand and tucking her book under her arm as she ran to the other side of the garden. Silently Alice was wincing under her breath as a burning started in her palm.

_What's wrong_? asked Parry noticing her pain.

"Nothing." Alice hissed under her breath. The bird was silent for the rest of the trip. Leafos lead them towards a wide cobblestone path that weaved though trees and passed over a bridge. With the pace Leafos was setting, it wasn't long before they had arrived into a little village made of about six shops, an inn and a mobile caravan. Almost every shop had windows that allowed one to look upon the type of merchandise sold. One was full of crates that and was labeled The Post Office while another called Costalot's featured expensive items. The few that didn't have featuring windows were a builder and a doctor and some place called Gretchen Fetchem's. Leafos lead the two straight for the shop with accessories in the windows. The moment Leafos stepped in a smile spread across her face, but disappeared as a woman in a yellow cat mask with a fish and bowl on her head stepped out of the back room. The shop was lined with nothing but accessories and costumes upon each other handing on hangers and rack as well as lying in shelves spread across the store. Leafos lead Alice to the changing room before scurrying off. "I'm sorry she said as she carefully grabbed Parry and cupping him in her hands so he couldn't fly before scooting him under the door. Moments latter Leafos had lifted a very colorful mask that looked like feathers over the top of the door.

"Try this." She said. Alice did sliding it down over her face. It had holes cut out of the top so she could see out. It looked as if she had a beak from what she saw. What she saw in the mirror was ridicules. Rainbows decorated her face, and you couldn't even see anything but her ocean blue eyes. What was more was that she had a _beak_!

"No." She said sliding the mask back under the door.

"Okay," Leafos said before scurrying back to put it away. Within moments she was back with a mask that looked likes a lion's face, except the hair was incredibly colorful.

"No," Alice said without even trying it on.

"Just try it." Leafos demanded. With that Alice took it remembering that Leafos was buying it for her. The moment she tried it on it slid down her face so instead of seeing her eyes you saw below her eyes. She carefully opened the door.

"I look Ridicules," said her muffled voice. There was a crackling laugh that split the air that didn't come close to being human. "Shut up Parry." The laughing grew.

"Your right, that's a no." snickered Leafos taking the mask off her head. Silently Alice returned into the dressing room waiting to see the next disaster Leafos would pick for her. "Try this." Leafos said sliding a mask under the door and then throwing some accessories over top. What Alice saw she liked. What Leafos had given her was a black cat mask. There was a flexible strap in the back to hold the mask in place since it ended just behind the ears and stopped just before it reached her mouth. It allowed her to show her cheeks and it resembled a true cat, pink nose and ears complete with flexible whiskers. When she slid it over her face it fit perfectly, as if it was made for her. It was then that she looked at the accessories Leafos had given her. The first of which she grabbed was a black belt that had pockets and places you could place or attach things with a long black tail in the back. The second of which was soft black gloves that covered her wrist and just the base of her fingers. The cute thing about them though was that it had pink pads that resembled that of a cat. An added bonus was that they would cover the cut across her palm in case someone saw it. She fastened the belt around her and slid the gloves on and just fell in love with it instantly.

"I like this one." She said opening the door. She was greeted with a hissing spit from Parry and a grin from Leafos. "What?" she asked the Parrybo.

"Its fits perfectly on you." Leafos answered for her as the Parrybo landed on top of her head and looked down into her eyes. "Do you want it?"

_Are you Alice_?

"Yes." She said and answered them both.

"Turn around." Demanded Leafos and when Alice did she told her to stop when her back was to her. "This," she began grabbing Alice's long straight hair and the elastic band in the back, "goes under your hair." With Careful hands Leafos fixed her hair. Once she had finished she made Alice turn once more until she was satisfied and the Parrybo had become dizzy on top of her, but he did not move. When they had finished admiring her new costume the three headed towards the checkout counter. "How much is this?"

"It's a clearance item so it's a thousand." said the woman in the yellow cat mask flipping through a magazine. Up close you could make out that her hands were thick paw gloves and her shoes were the same. She wore a bell around her neck and a shirt and skirt that hit her ankles the same color as her mask. Leafos gave a fake smile as she dug through her pockets and pulled out foil wrapped coins of different sizes. "Thanks." the cat woman said before returning to the back room.

"Now time to show you your garden!" Leafos said excitedly as she stepped outside.

Alice, not quite as thrilled, joined in with her telling Leafos the truth about hoping to regain her memory by buying the land. Leafos began to tell Alice about the news around Piñata Island as she led her from the village and down the road to the other side. She told her about how her family had become rich and how her father's garden had been destroyed, but Alice didn't say much attention. "Who are they?" Alice asked when she saw three figures dress in red and black with tattoos smearing their skin.

"Hey!" Leafos yelled at them as an explosion filled the air and things when flying. A cloud of smoke filled the sky as the middle one looked back towards Alice and Leafos.

"Get inside and finish the job!" The man yelled at the other two who rushed into the cloud of smoke. Alice was rushing towards them when she began yelling.

"That is not your property!" She yelled at him noticing the same small house she had seen on the other side of the mountain. "You need to leave…" She began as he grabbed her as soon as she got close to him. He had a graduation cap on top of his mask and within his mask's mouth were sharp pointed teeth.

"You're coming with me." He told her and his mask moved with his words.

"No!" She said as she began to struggle but it was evident that he was much stronger than her. "Leafos! Parry!" she screamed noticing the bird wasn't on her head anymore, and then she was within the cloud. There was a banging of a door, who knew there still was one, and a light flickered on.

"Restrain her. They won't barge in as long as she's here." said the graduation cap. She could see the other two clearly now. Their body seemed to be completely a mask, they had arms, legs, a sharp toothed mouth and eyes as well as a nose and, other than green hair, that was all they had. Swirling tattoos covered the exposed skin on all three. The first of the minions who had pigtails coming from the top of her head sat down at the computer and began working. The second, who restrained her, had a Mohawk as the one in the graduation cap questioned her. "Who are you?"

"Alice, my name is Alice Royal." She said struggling still to get fee.

"No, there is only one Alice Royal, and you are not her. You can't be her, because she's dead."

"But," Alice began but was interrupted from a roar of him.

"No! You are not her. The end. Knock her out." Graduation told his minion as he fixed his cap. The minion took his hands from holding her arms to sliding one around her wait and another around her mouth and slightly under her mask to keep her from breathing as Graduation turned to go to his first minion. His hands smelled horrible like dead rotting flesh and the last thing she heard before the world around her went black was, "No you imbecile, knock her out not kill her!" Slowly her limp body fell to the ground.

Alice had been in this kind of darkness before, but this time it was different. There were no arches. There was nothing, just consuming darkness that surrounded her

_Alice? Can you hear me_? That was Leafos's voice.

"Yes!" She yelled back. "Where are you?"

_Alice_? That was Parry.

_Is she going to be okay_? That voice she didn't recognize, but it was too croaked to be human.

_She will b-b-be_. Said a stuttering voice. And with that voice she saw something in the darkness. It was a light. It was not white, but a sunset orange. It was moving towards her and she welcomed it. The next moment she blinked, but she hadn't just blinked, she had opened her eyes. Two people and two creatures looked down over her just as you would have seen in movies. Leafos to her right, Parry was on her chest and the other two she didn't recognize. "T-to-told y-you." said the man in a blue monkey mask that allowed his whole face to be seen. He wore a doctor's white coat and he left without another word. He returned within moments with tools. "Pain?" He asked. Gingerly Alice shook her head. "Ca-can you sp-spea-speak?"

"Yeah," She replied.

"G-goo-good. My j-job is d-do-done." He said putting the tools away before speeding off back towards the village in a little mobile car.

"Thank goodness she's fine!" Exclaimed a little green frog looking piñata with some kind of hat on his head. "I need to go back and try to straighten things up. Bye Leafos. Sorry to have had to meet under such unpleasant circumstances, Alice." Then like a little green lightning bolt he hopped off. Alice lifted her head to follow him before she let her head fall back down to gravity.

"You okay?" Leafos and Parry asked at the same time.

"Yeah," she said petting the Parrybo's head as it purred with delight.

"Come on Get up." Leafos Said as she held her hand out to Alice. "I went to go get help the moment he dragged you inside. Did he hurt you?" She asked mystified.

"No," Alice replied grabbing her hand.

"Are you sure he didn't…"

"No Leafos, he didn't." Alice said as Parry landed on her shoulder.

"Good." Leafos said mater-of-fact like. "I did grab you some tools to help start your garden off with, but since the sun is setting I won't be able to show you the basics. Fist you will need to start digging up this hard dirt. You'll need this as well." Leafos said handing her the sleeping bag that was right beside her. "And this as well." She said handing her three large chocolate coins. "Those are worth a thousand, don't waste them."

"What happened?" Alice had to ask.

"Professor Pester, the guy in the graduation cap, broke into Piñata Central," she answered pointing to the building that was built into the mountain side, "One of his ruffians deleted all the files and records on every piñata known. Now we need help to recover them. Better deleted than Pester getting his hands on them though." Then Leafos was walking away, her little book still under her arm. Alice eyes roamed to the middle of the little plot of land she assumed was her garden. It was directly between two mountains, one of which was a volcano that resembled Professor Pester. There in the dead center was a pack of grass, a ratty shovel and an old rusted watering can. Alice hadn't known what she was expecting, but it wasn't this.

Alice hadn't realized she had never let go of the sleeping bag until she began to look for it.

_What you looking for_? Parry asked from her shoulder

"The Sleeping bag."

_In your hand_.

"Thanks." She said dropping the bag and unrolling it. Slowly she bent down and slid in the bag. The ground underneath was hard, harder even that the beaten dirt paths. "Good night Parry." Alice told the bird as it curled up against her.

_Nite nite, Alice._


	2. Chapter Two: The Pinata Way

Chapter Two: The Pinata Way

Lightning lit up the sky as darkened clouds rolled over pitch white sails of a ship. Rain poured in torrents and waves crashed against the wooden sides. The wind blew hard and powerful, but it could not move the figure by the broken rail. A cocked smile was spread across their face, a smile between horror and satisfaction, and a small mask dangled from their hand. He stared towards the water where something, or someone, was bobbing in and out of it. Lightning lit up brown hair so soaked it looked black and blue eyes that matched the ocean. She came up for air once more, her arms flailing to keep her afloat, before the sea swallowed her whole. There was nothing of her left, save the mask in the care of the man who turned away, his movements showing no sign of emotion.

Alice sat up so fast she made herself dizzy. She was breathing fast and she knew her heart was racing, but she couldn't seem to control it. What she had dreamed was no dream, but it had been a memory. It had been the last thing she had seen before she _died_; it was _how she had died_.

_Alice_? Parry asked from behind her.

"Yes," Alice said and immediately regretted it. She felt absolutely horrible and very sick to her stomach. Slowly she slipped her hands under her mask and tried to massage away the oncoming headache.

_You okay_?

"Yeah, just a nightmare." she reassured him as she slid her mask back into place. The sun was slowly creeping over the horizon sending shadows across her garden from the east side. Her eyes scanned the hard, packed dirt which had browned tuffs of grass popping out of the cracks. She was just beginning to get up when Parry landed on her shoulder throwing her off balance and causing her to tumble back onto her ass. "Parry,"

_You sure_?

"Yes," She began before looking at him. Once she did though her nauseated feeling was replaced with one of excitement. "Parry! You're so colorful!" Parry was, in fact, like a rainbow. He had a dark blue rim around his gorgeous purple eyes, a bright yellow beak and stubby little legs with paper-mache feathers of every color imaginable. "Parry, you're so beautiful!"

_Dank you_. Parry said as Alice spotted Leafos entering the garden from the Northwest side. She waved at her, then stood up and began to roll up the sleeping bag.

"Hey," Leafos stopped in front of her. "You're up, good. Oh!" She nearly screamed when she seemingly noticed Parry. "He resided? That's great! Anyways, I've come to help you get started. You know, show you the basics."

"Okay, but what about your garden?"

"You mean the one you found me in yesterday? Were you not listening to me at all?! I told you that was my father's old garden. Another gardener took it over years ago. Sadly, they don't know anything about taking care of it, except how to grow certain plants and romance Whirlms" Leafos sighed bending over to pick up Alice's shovel to hand it to her. "He won't let me help him, but I can help you if you want me to."

"Okay, what do we need to do first?"

"We need to get rid of this hard dirt." she tapped her foot to the ground as if to point it out, "I'm going to soften the ground by watering it with your watering can. Then you're going to turn the dirt to expose the rich soft soil underneath. Parry can sprinkle grass seeds on the ground behind us. After we're done you'll have a nice lush garden that will attract piñatas. If we do this correctly, it should only take us till noon." then she bent over, grabbed the grass packet and handed it to Alice before picking up the watering can and heading to the southwest corner.

"Open," Alice told Parry then stuck the corner of the packet in his beak, "Fly overhead and sprinkle this on the ground please." Parry nodded once before taking off.

The three spend the entire morning working until the sun was well in the sky. Leafos soaked the ground carelessly as she gossiped about anything and everyone. Alice worked hard turning the soil picking bits and pieces of what Leafos was saying. Then there was Parry. He soared through the sky shaking the packet from one side to the other until he made himself dizzy and fell, only to return moments later. They had just finished with the last corner when Leafos flopped down complaining about her aching feet. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Leafos asked with a sudden burst of inspiration.

"Uhh," Alice mumbled as Parry landed on her shoulder and dropped the packet in her hand. "Yeah."

"It'll be my little treat." Leafos said with a grin. Alice was in the middle of putting her newly used gardening tools in a pile when she glanced back at her. Judging from the smile she gave them, she knew something and Alice had an idea this lunch was only the beginning of it. "Well, are you coming or not?" She asked once before turning and heading off towards the wooden path/bridge that lead to the village. Parry seemed to sense something was off as well, because he sent Alice an uncertain look.

_What going on_? Parry asked her. Alice just shrugged.

"Don't worry, Parry, you can come too." Leafos stated, obviously oblivious to how suspicious she looked, and continued on. Alice and Parry shared a glace before they began to follow. It didn't take long to catch up to her, but by the time they had they'd reached the village. Alice stopped for a brief moment to take in the sight without being dragged through it. That was when she noticed the village was set-up like a semi-circle. In the time Alice took, Leafos had already begun heading for an alleyway between the row of shops and as the two caught up for a second time they could hear Leafos had gone on another gossiping rampage. Alice had no idea who half the people she talked about were, but she was more worried about how sinister the alleyway looked.

Parry was shaking by the time she passed a scratched out sigh that only the word "Mad" was legible. _Alice_, Parry stuttered, _I'm scared_.

"Just a minute, Parry." Alice whispered concentrating on placing one foot in front of the other. "If anything happens, we'll run. I promise." He tucked his head into his chest and covered it with his wings. The alleyway seemed treacherously long, but when they reached the end Leafos was waiting on them tapping her foot with folded arms of impatience.

"What took you so long?" She asked, "And what's wrong with him?"

"He doesn't like alleyways, I guess." Alice said as Parry showed one of his big purple eyes between his feathers, and then his whole face. The area behind Leafos was an open lot. In the center of it was a rundown, broken fountain with feeders on either end of it that looked as if they had thrown up all over the ground. In the very back was a rundown building "Where are we?"

"Welcome to Mad Dawgs Diner, the real one I mean." Leafos said turning around and started to head towards the fountain. As they got closer it was evident that the rundown building had been a Diner, which would explain why the entire front of it was windows, and it had obviously been built some time ago. "The owner of the Diner had two Barkbarks, both of which hated everyone but their owner. He named the restaurant after them." She said glancing back to make sure the two were following her. "Eventually Willy adopted the idea to turn the restaurant into the Barkbark's house, with a few adjustments of course."

"So how is the food?" Alice asked falling into step beside her.

"Its good, but the place is a bit ratty. It was built a long time ago, I want to say the 1970's, but I'm not sure. My father and Mother used to bring us here, my brothers and sister I mean." Leafos grabbed the handle to the door and pulled. She had been right about the place being ratty. The floor was black and white diamonds with red and white tile walls. Both had spots that were broken, torn up and ripped out. The counters were that strange white with gray and black speckles, but stains of assorted colors covered most of it. The seats had springs sticking out of them while others were just ripped with the foam stuffing out. The windows were even splattered with ketchup and mustard.

There was absolutely no one here, save for the cook behind the open window and a waitress that was sweeping the floor, as if that would have helped anything.

Leafos walked down a row of booths and found the only one that wasn't ripped or torn up, and sat down. The table was clean and the window only had a little amount of condiments on it. It was a bit like a peace of heaven among chaos. "My name is Jamie, but you can call me Dantee, and I'll be your server today." said a woman who stood over the table. She looked no more than a couple years older than Alice. She had dark brown hair that looked almost black. Her mask was one of a dog of some sorts. Strangely, it was a lot like Alice's where it showed her mouth, and her lip ring, but hers didn't quite show her cheeks. She had on a cute purple top and skinny jeans with black boots. Around her waist was a white apron with an embroidered blue dog on the corner. "What would you like to drink?" she asked with a smile.

"I'll have a water." Leafos told her before she could put menus on the table. Jamie then took out a small notepad and a pen before her lively purple eyes landed on her.

"I'll have a sweet tea please."

"It'll be right up sweetie." she said before heading off towards the kitchen.

"I suggest the mushroom burger, but the chicken sandwich is good too." Leafos took no time in putting in her opinion. The mushroom burger did sound good, and Alice decided to go for that than taking the time to sit there and look at the menu.

"I'll have the burger then. Do they have anything for him? I'm sure he's hungry."

"Yeah, we can order him a banana or something." Leafos said as a man dropped a yellow envelope on the table before heading towards the door. He moved so fast there was almost nothing you could tell about him except his light blond hair. "Ah, finally." Leafos said grabbing the envelope and opened it. Parry hopped off Alice's shoulder and onto the table out of curiosity and Leafos gave him a no-you-don't look. She was pulling out a pen and placed it on the table before slapping a piece of paper down in front of Alice. "This is the deed to your garden. I need you to sign it." The 'deed' was basically a piece of paper that said a location, coordinate and showed a diagram of a 16 by 16 box on it. On the very bottom of it was an x with a line beside it. Leafos slid her the pen and, a bit confused, Alice signed her name at the bottom. Leafos took it back and gave her one that seemed to be its copy, but instead it said 'garden entitled to Alice Royal'. "That's yours. Along with…" Leafos said pulling something else out of the package. "this." It was a small card. On it was her name, her gardener level, which said level 5, and her bank account, which was set at -$16,800.

"Damn, I owe you a bunch." Alice stated as Dantee set two glasses in front of them.

"Do you know what you want?" Dantee asked them.

"I want the barbeque sandwich, and can we get a bowl of something for him?"

"Sure, we got bananas, seeds and candy."

_Seeds_? Parry lifted his head from studying the paper with big round eyes of excitement.

"We'll take the seeds," Alice told her folding the deed up and putting the card and paper in a pouch in her belt. "and I'll have the mushroom burger."

"What two sides do you want with that? Leafos I already know what you want." Dantee rolled her eyes as Leafos started to open her mouth, but then clamped it shut.

"Fries and…"

"We have corn, peas," Dantee began wrinkling her nose and frowning at the last, "baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and green beans."

"I'll take the peas." Alice decided then handed her menu over.

"It'll be out in a few minutes." Dantee told them before taking Leafos's menu and walking away to the window and placing the order to the man who got snapped at for falling asleep above the fryer. Leafos and Alice both looked at each other, then at Parry who still hadn't come out of his trance about seeds. Alice shook her head, which seemed to snap him out and he sat down on the table and began to relax.

"So," Leafos began clapping her hands together.

Alice waited a long moment before replying, "So…what?"

"Did you remember anything last night? I want to know all about everything sense you woke up on that beach and what ever you remember about before. So…"

"I told you everything." Alice lied not wanting to tell her about the dream. She wanted to figure it out on her own for the moment, and she didn't want rumors about her spreading around just yet. "I woke up on the beach. Parry saved my life and brought me to you. You know the rest."

"You didn't dream about anything last night?" Leafos asked with one last desperate prob.

"No,"

"Well, that's disappointing." Leafos said sitting back as Alice took a drink of her tea.

"What about you? Got any deep dark secrets no one's ever heard about?" Alice asked her jokingly.

"Not really. My dad was the first gardener on the island, the best damned one too. Lester was his undoing." Leafos said, but for some reason that name seemed familiar.

"Who's Lester?"

"He was the helper my father hired. I was a little girl when he was hired, so I don't remember much about him. He was only a couple years older than Stardos."

"Who?" Alice asked getting terribly confused.

"I'll tell you the story. Okay?" Leafos asked and waited for Alice to nod. "My father is Jardinero, the first gardener on the island. He was beginning the garden when he met Mother, who was on shore leave. She worked on supply ships you see, and she was off for a while and even took some time off to spend with my father. Stardos was born just before Mother had to return back to sea. I was born about five years later. The garden was going well then and my sister Storkos was born out on sea three years after me. When Mother returned my parents started Piñata Central, and then my brother Sidos, or better knows as Seedos now, was born. My father needed some extra help around the garden, so he hired Lester, but he caught him doing some kind of experiments and fired him.

"I was only five at the time, but he returned four years later. He tricked my father and Mother to sea claming the map he provided showed him where the Dragonash egg was located. Mother never returned, and the trip destroyed everything my family had ever loved. My dad lost more than the use of his legs that week. Lester lured my brother Stardos into the forest, sent ruffians to destroy the garden and some man named Dastardos ran my poor little brother into the swamps with his Shellybeans. We never heard from Stardos again. Sidos became obsessed with seeds just like the Shellybeans and my journal where I kept a record of everything I knew about was destroyed. My family lost almost everything." Leafos finished leaning farther back into her seat as a plate was placed in front of her. It had the barbeque she had ordered, fries and green beans. Then a plate was placed in front of Alice and a bowl was slid across the table.

"Mind if I join you?" Dantee asked looking at her watch, "I'm officially on break for the moment."

"Sure," Leafos mumbled picking at her green beans. Dantee left to head to the kitchen to return a moment later with a plate of corn, a small burger and a handful of fries.

Alice took no time to dig into her plate and Parry didn't either. Dantee sat in the booth beside Alice as she scooted over to make room. She took one glance at Leafos, "Telling your pitiful story again?" Dantee asked her with disgust.

"Leave me alone." Leafos told her as she ate in silence.

"Leafos you know all too well there are others out there who've had it worse than you have. You don't see me having a pity party, now do you?" Alice looked at her, surprised, but didn't stop eating. The food tasted delicious, so much so Leafos' story hadn't changed her apatite. "I'm an orphan." Dantee told her noticing her look.

"What happened to your parents?" Alice had to ask.

"Don't know. Never met them. I don't know if they're dead or just didn't want me."

"Didn't you get adopted though?" Leafos asked her with sudden smite.

"Yeah, twice." Dantee shot back, it was evident the two didn't like each other. "Returned both times like a piece of merchandise. You're lucky to have had a family, even if it's torn apart now. I've been on my own since I was a little girl." Dantee told her taking a bite of her burger. There was a long moment before anyone talked again, and the air would have been silent had Parry not been crunching on seeds as if they were the last things in the world. "What about you sweetheart?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up on the beach yesterday. I don't remember much."

"Like amnesia? Hmm…" Dantee asked as Alice nodded. "They say certain events or names can bring the memories back, but not when you want them too. They also say time can as well. Do you remember anything about you or life before?"

"My name and my age. That's it. I don't even know my parents names."

"And what is your name?"

"Alice, Alice Royal."

"That's a pretty name." She said finishing off her plate, and then checking her watch. "Oh shit, I'm back on my shift." She said picking up the empty bowl by sliding it away from Parry and taking the plates that the three had practically cleaned. "I hope to see you in here again." She slung over her shoulder as Leafos got up.

"I've got some things I need to do, I'll meet you tomorrow." Leafos told her throwing some coins on the table.

Parry jumped on Alice's shoulder as she too got up. However, instead of heading towards the door she went to where Dantee had gone to begin sweeping again and tapped her shoulder. "Don't tell me you want desert." She joked.

"Is there a place I can stay in the Village? Like a hotel?"

"Yeah, there's Arfur's Inn. My advise, head down to Willy and get him to build you a house."

"Willy?"

"The builder. It'll be cheaper to do that, since after you pay for it it'll only cost you the water and electric bill to live in. I would also suggest heading to Costalot's and buying a few seeds. Piñatas like flowers." she told her.

"Where are they?"

"Willy is the cattycornered building at the end of the row of shops, and Costalot is on the other end. It'll be the last one in the row."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." She said turning back around. "Hey, anytime you need something you can ask me. I won't spread anything about you around like Leafos will. I can promise you that."

"Thanks." Alice smiled at her and then left as Parry shifted to her other shoulder.

_She nice_. Alice nodded her head and pet him as he began to make a chirpy purr. She made her way back out of the alleyway and to the row of shops. She turned right and headed directly to the only shop on this side that didn't have any windows. The stairs creaked when she stepped on them and forced her to walk slowly up them for fear of falling through. The door was glass, and it jingled with the sound of a bell when she walked in. The store had a musty, manly smell you would typically associate with a handy-man store, which made Alice wrinkle her nose in disgust. Tools hung on the wall and bits of construction supplies sat in neat clear labeled drawers. Behind the counter was a girl around her age with a deep blue mask with hand painted tools and skulls drawn on it. Her black hair was in braided pigtails and she wore a sleeveless white shirt that was stained with grease and oil. "Hi." Alice smiled at her stepping up to the counter.

"We're closed." she said in a blunt voice.

"DAISY, I KNOW I DID NOT JUST HEAR YOU SAY THAT!" screamed a man from somewhere behind the wall. Seconds later a man appeared from a seemingly secret door that had tools hung neatly on it. He had a blue hammer on his head that attached to his mask. He was in a blue jumpsuit with a name tag that said 'Willy' on his chest. He was wiping off his fingers on a rag and a tool belt hung around his waist. "Go and work on that car." he told her. She moved from behind the counter to disappear behind the door by pulling a tool away from the wall. "Sorry about that." he told her giving her a great big smile. "Please forgive my daughter. Anyways what can I do for you missy?"

"I heard you could build me a house." Alice asked not liking being put on the spot.

"Yep, that's me. Piñata and human alike. I also build other buildings, if you should need them. Do you need me to build you one?"

"How much would it be?"

"Two thousands. If you want it furnished two thousand seven hundred." He told her folding his arms on the counter. "Do you need me to build it?"

"Yeah." Alice agreed pulling the three coins out of a pouch on her belt and handed it to him. They were big chocolate coins wrapped in golden tinfoil, but Leafos had told her they equaled a thousand each.

"Wait missy. I need to know where your garden is and proof of ownership as well as your gardening license." He said sliding the coins off to a pile. Alice pulled out the paper Leafos had given her and the card that had her level on it. "Thank you." he said looking over the paper and then her license. He seemed to study them for a moment before sliding them back over shaking his head. He took the coins and opened the cash register sliding her back three more golden wrapped coins that were a bit smaller. Alice could just hear him mumbling Leafos' name under his voice. "I see Leafos bumped you up to level five new gardener." He said it nicely but there was an edge of anger in his voice.

"I'm sorry?" Alice asked not sure of what she had done wrong.

"New gardeners are supposed to start on level zero. You got your garden yesterday. It's virtually impossible to gain five levels your first two days. Oh well. I won't rat you out, you'll get there quickly anyway. I've got to head to my warehouse to get the supplies. I'll meet you at your garden in a bit." He said walking back to the back again. "DAISY, GET YOUR ASS UP HERE. AND DON'T LET ME HEAR YOU SAY THAT AGAIN." Alice left quickly before the girl could get back behind the counter. She folded the paper back up and neatly put the card, the coins and the paper back in their pouches.

Alice was walking down the row of stores when her eye caught on something red sneaking around a building. Parry had seen it as well, but what exactly it was they weren't sure. It disappeared for a moment before it peaked back around the corner. It was a human, and Alice caught sight of swirling tattoos on a pale arm before they disappeared all together. She had thought she had seen a bit of green hair, but she couldn't be sure. Alice quickly picked up her pace and headed towards the store Dantee had pointed out.

Costalot's was a big store, and it was also the one which had the expensive looking items in the window she had seen yesterday. The inside of the store was neat, clean and very fragrant with the smell of fruit and flowers. It was like walking into alternate universes. Shelves lined the walls and what seemed like thousands of things sat on them. Seeds sat in labeled drawers and fruit laid on shelves in the middle of the shop. Everything was labeled how much it was. Alice had 300 chocolate coins to buy stuff with, and she figured she would need extra left over so she headed straight for the seeds. There were a few others here, but there was only one other at the seeds. One that left as she got over there.

"You've been awfully quiet, Parry." She said glancing over the labels.

_Nothing to say_.

"Really? What seeds do you think I should get?"

_Flowers pretty._

"That they are." Alice agreed grabbing the drawer labeled Daisy, then Buttercup grabbing three or four seeds each. "If I can grow my own vegetables I could save money on food as well." Alice said as she reached for the carrot seeds. Parry nodded his head seemingly getting ready to fall asleep on her shoulder. She grabbed four carrots, two turnips and one holly seed. It wasn't until she had all fourteen seeds in her hands that Alice realized she wouldn't be able to just carry them all. "Parry," she said moving the shoulder he was on to wake him up. "Get me a bag or basket or something please."

_Okay_. He said spreading his wings to fly around the store over head. He returned moments later with a small basket in his mouth that would be big enough to hold quite a few other things than just the seeds. He held it in front of her as she slid the seeds in and landed back on her shoulder when she took it from him. He folded his wings to his sides and tucking his beak back into his chest. Alice carefully petted his head in affection before going to look around the rest of the store. She grabbed an apple as she made her way to the other side. She had a 16 by 16 garden, and she was going to make a garden to grow her own produce, except the apple she grabbed. There was only one type of fence she could buy at the moment, and it didn't include a gate. Quickly glancing around, she found a coil of rope on sale for 30 coins. The fence was wire, cheaply made but it would help to keep others from entering the area at every corner. It was only six coins, and she calculated what a 6 by 4 fence would cost leaving two sections free to walk in and out of. It would cost about a hundred something dollars, but it should be money well spent to keep things from eating her plants.

Deciding quickly to get it she pulled a form off the wall. The fence was sold by the foot, so she put the number of what she would need in the space given using the pen that was attached to it before going to place the rope in her basket. She was on her way to the checkout when a cute little book caught her eye. It was blank with a lock on the side and had a Parrybo and a tree growing bananas on the front. Quickly she slid it into her basket before continuing.

She was making her way towards the counter when Parry began to fall off her shoulder. She lifted her hand catch him when someone tapped her shoulder. "Might I know you?" asked a man from behind her. He was a bit strange looking. He had a belt around his waist which had peacock feathers hanging off the back of them. In fact his mask resembled one too. "Maybe not." He said giving her a weak smile and holding out his hand. "The name's Joe. Nice to make your acquaintance."

"Alice." She said telling him her name and taking his hand in an awkward manner. "Nice to meet you." She said as he stepped back, and seemed to search around.

"Sweetie come and meet my new friend." He called over the aisles. Slowly another man approached who was wearing a bunny outfit equipped complete with the ears and tail. Joe put his arm around his waist and turned to look back to Alice, "This is Benny." He said with a bright smile. Benny was frowning evidently unhappy to be where they were. "We're professional garden designers. We've met everyone and anyone on the island, but we've never met you. Benny this is Alice." He said as Benny held his hand out and Alice shook it. They were both lanky and were only a bit taller than her. "So, how long have you been here?" Joe asked her looking like he wanted to squeal.

"About a day." She said turning around heading towards the counter where she put the basket. Joe and Benny followed her, detaching from one another.

"Really?" he asked as the woman, who had long blue hair with things wrapped in it and a human-like mask started to look through the basket's contents.

"Yeah." she told them. She wasn't good at talking with other people she didn't know. She didn't know how to start conversations or how to figure them out. The woman told her the price and she slid over two gold coins. She took them and handed back one bronze coin and seven brown wrapped ones. It was easy to tell the value of the coins from how many were given back. Big gold coins were a thousand, small gold a hundred, bronze ten and Brown one. "Thank you." She told the woman turning back towards the two.

Joe seemed to be thinking and Benny didn't seem willing to talk. "I've got to get back to my garden." She told them as Parry stirred. Somehow the talking hadn't woken him up. "Did you have a good nap, Parry?"

_Yep_. He said jumping on her head to look at the two. His feathers ruffled as he stretched but he didn't seem to find any interest in the couple. The woman had put everything in a bag for her telling her a crate will be at her garden with the fencing inside of it. Alice grabbed the bag and left. She was halfway down the wooden path/bridge before she realized Joe was following her. She spun around so fast Parry fell off her head.

"Are you following me?" she questioned him.

"N-no." He stuttered. "I… I was" he searched for an excuse but gave up and let his shoulders fall. "Yes. I wanted to help."

"You should have asked me. Plus, I don't need help." She said as Parry hopped to her foot. He flew up and landed on the railing as she turned around. Parry followed her but didn't land on her again. She left Joe where he stood, but even with the bend in the walkway he could see her enter her garden. He turned around bouncing his way back to the shop where he had left Benny.

Willy had already begun building the house next to the mountain and a crate waited for her next to her abandoned tools. Slowly Alice sat the bag on the ground and lifted the lid to the crate. Inside were the fences she had ordered. "Damn. That was fast." she said out loud without realizing it. Carefully she tipped the crate over, which was a bit difficult since the crate was more than half her height. Eventually she did manage to tip it to its side and, piece by piece, she began to pull the fencing out. Mentally she formed a picture of what the garden would look like. Quickly she glanced to the soon-to-be house that was hidden away by a make-shift shed and made a decision. She quickly began digging holes at equal distances and slid the posts of the fence in and filled the dirt back in around it. What she didn't fill back in she threw over the inside of the fence where she had removed the grass. The light was fast draining by the time she finished and she pushed the seeds deep into the soil before the light could fade away. The vegetables on the inside, the four daisies and three buttercups on the front and the holly seed in a small area to the side. Everything felt natural to her and her toes digging into the dirt made her feel like she belonged, like nothing had ever happened, but she didn't know exactly why.

"See you tomorrow." Willy called coming out of the shed. "Don't go in there." he said giving her a look that said he would know if she did. Alice waved at him and told him she wouldn't as she stretched and wiped the sweat from her brow. She couldn't wait for the house to be done, because she couldn't wait to take a shower. Instead she grabbed apple, crunching into it and throwing half of it to Parry, who munched on it gratefully. Then she grabbed the book and stuck the plastic bag into the crate before unrolling her sleeping bag and climbing in. It had a pencil that came with it, one with the tree on it and a bright red colored eraser that seemed to shift colors, though it could have been that way from the dwindling light. She wrote about everything she had done, saw and even the dream. She wanted to make sure she wouldn't lose her memories again, and this was the only true way of knowing. At the very end she put her thoughts and about her somehow recognizing the name Lester. She sun sank below the horizon as she wrote, moonlight guiding her words. She made questions to herself that she could hopefully answer later. She tapped the end of the pencil to her lip thinking and having nothing else to write about put the pencil back and locked it before sliding it into the bottom of her sleeping bag. She put the key in the pocket with the deed and slid deep into the sleeping bag. It was much softer now that the grass had sprung to life. Parry was already sound asleep coiled into a ball like a cat between the zipped up layers. Alice drifted off to a dreamless sleep thinking about what tomorrow would be like.

Alice woke up to the sounds of construction. She stretched, her hands poking out of the top of the sleeping bag to feel the cool morning air. It was a drastic change from the warmth of the inside of the bag. Lifting the end of the bag up saw only the faint glow of morning light that hadn't even passed over the horizon yet. Instead of getting up she curled up with her arm slung over a still sleeping Parry. She didn't get to sleep much longer before she felt a poking in her side. She felt it distantly in her sleep, but when the probing hit a sudden spot she twitched. Parry squawked as he was smacked towards the bottom of the bag and Alice stretched the inside of the bag every way possible bursting with laughter, her eyes still closed with sleep. Her eyes fluttered a second later when the zipper slipped down the side opening the bag and exposing the cool morning air to the warmth of inside.

"Relax, it's just me." Leafos said with a giggle as she peaked inside. "No need to spazz out."

_Oww_. Parry said shaking his head.

"I'm sorry." Alice told him cradling him close to her chest in a hug. "I'm so sorry Parry."

"Come on sleepyheads, get up." Leafos said standing back up and letting the top fall back on top of them. Alice slid out feeling the cool air slide over her exposed skin. Parry fluttered out wings slightly open and fluttered to the fence of the garden. Alice hadn't had time to use the rope she had bought yesterday and Leafos had it in her hand looking at it suspiciously. "What, you planning to tie someone up?" she asked eyeballing Alice.

"No, I was going to make a rope gate with it." Alice told her snatching the rope out of her hand. Leafos didn't even resist, probably for fear of dropping the little device in her hand. It was sort of in the shape of a book, but had a triangle pattern around a touch screen and a brown and green book cover for a back.

"This is for you." Leafos told her noticing she had seen it and handed it over to her. "It's a garden Journal. It's like the one I used to have, and don't worry. The journal is what made what was left of my family, my father and I, rich. I've got a load more and one gone won't make a difference. Granted, that's also one of the newer ones, it shouldn't give you much problems."

"Thank you." Alice told her as a black and white worm-like creature came into her garden. "What is that?" Alice asked pointing to the worm creature.

"This journal has a camera on the back," She said pointing out the small spot on the back, obviously not hearing her. "I'll show you how to work it in a second. You know it's amazing what the people outside this island have nowadays. Truth be told, I sort of got the idea from them." She said wit h a weak smile as if she though she would get in trouble if someone found out. Then she looked towards the worm creature. "That's a Whirlm, and don't worry about it, they almost always reside." Unless, of course, something happens she meant, but didn't say. She was correct, because almost immediately after the creature started doing a dance and slowly changed colors from black and white to different shades of orange with patterns and bright green eyes. It was female, judging from the light golden orange ring around its eye.

_HI_! It nearly screamed at her wiggling closer.

"Aww," Alice said picking her up "I think I'll name you… Marry. My names Alice." She told the little Whirlm with a smile as Leafos just watched them.

_Hello Alice_. _What's his name_?

"Who's name?" Alice asked forgetting Leafos was right beside her.

Marry gave her big wide eyes. She obviously didn't expect Alice to answer. _His_, Marry said tilting her head to point out the new Whirlm that was dancing on the other side of the garden.

Alice turned and looked at him. He had a darker ring around his eyes indicating he was male, unlike Marry. "Hmm. Billy?" Alice said uncertainly, and then changed her mind. "Jonathan." Alice said putting Marry down and watched her as she went towards him before turning back to a confused looking Leafos.

"Did… did you just talk to that Whirlm?" she asked her.

"Yeah, didn't you hear her?"

"Her? How do you know it was a she? And I heard her squeaking, but I don't know what she was saying." Leafos looked at her expectantly. She was obviously curious, if not a bit freaked out.

"She asked what the other Whirlm's name was… You… you can't understand them?" Alice asked as if Leafos was joking around. She wasn't.

"No, I can't. How can you?"

"I don't know." Then she remembered what Parry had said back on the beach. How freaked out he had been that she was able to understand him.

"How long have you been able to do that?"

"Since I woke up on the beach, maybe longer than that." Alice said.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Leafos demanded.

"I… I though everyone could." Alice said verging on tears.

"Oh, no… don't… don't do that. Please don't cry." Leafos said wrapping her in a hug. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted to know why you didn't tell me. That's all. Please don't cry. Its okay, I promise. Just, don't cry." Leafos begged.

"I'm sorry." Alice said as Leafos let go so she could wipe her eyes. Leafos was the first one who had helped her, and she didn't want to disappoint her. She still wouldn't tell her about the dream though.

Slowly Alice picked up the watering can, handing the Journal to Leafos to hold, and went to water the dry Holly bush. The vegetables had already sprung out of the ground themselves and the Daisies and the Buttercups had bloomed to the early morning light already.

"Arighty, missy. I'm done with your house." Willy said stepping out of the garden as Parry landed on her shoulder. The shed he had been working in was off to a pile, wooden poles and fabric was basically all it was. "If you'd come over here so I can show you something." He said and Alice, now dry-eyed, grabbed the sleeping bag with her diary still inside and Leafos in tow still holding the Journal for her. "Hello Leafos." Willy said giving Leafos a look that told her he knew exactly what she'd done. The house was small and beautiful. There were white paned windows on either side of the door, cream colored siding and a light brown roof. Willy opened the door for them and the four went inside.

The inside of the house was just as gorgeous, even with the few bits of furniture there was. The living room and the kitchen were one, with hardwood and tile flooring being the only indication of where one room stopped and the other began. There was a small Television on the wall in front of the door and a couch that faced it. There was also an armchair that faced the TV and sat right beside the window. Both were a cream color. There was a kitchenette and a small Dinning table with four chairs around it. Willy led the two down the hall, which was short, and ducked his head into the first door on the right so his hammer wouldn't hit the frame. It was a small room with only a desk, rolling chair and computer that looked as if it was definitely outdated. "This is your office. When you get me to, because everyone does, build you a house for a piñata this room acts like your security. There are already cameras on the outside of your house and one in the living room facing the door. If you ever need me to, I can also enlarge your house so you can have your helpers live here, but first you'll have to have the coins to pay for it." Then he left. Moments later Alice could hear the door shutting softly behind him.

Alice looked through the other two rooms, one of which was a bathroom complete with a washer and dryer. He had even put a few towels in the closet. The other room was her bedroom. A full sized bed with cream sheets sat in the middle on the back wall with a nightstand on either side. There was a mirror and a dresser, but other than that, the room was bare. The closet and dresser didn't have anything in it, and Alice didn't expect it to. She dropped the sleeping bag into the closet, sliding her diary into a drawer on her nightstand before she headed back to the bathroom.

Parry had flown off her shoulder and into the living room with Leafos, and judging by the sound coming from the room, they were watching TV together. Alice, taking advantage of the chance, stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Slowly she slipped out of her filthy clothes, threw them into the washer on a quick cycle and put her mask on the counter beside the sink before slipping into the shower. The warm water felt good on her face as she washed away the grime and soaked her hair with shampoo. She mentally made a note to thank Willy for everything, because she was certain two thousand seven hundred didn't cover everything he had given her. By the time the washer buzzed she was wrapping herself in a towel. She tossed them in the dryer and went to fix her hair.

He had even given her a brush.

She stayed there until the dryer buzzed listening to Leafos's laughter and Parry Squawking. When she got out she felt refreshed and amazing from the shower. She felt clean. Alice through her belt and gloves in her room before she sat down on the couch beside Leafos, because Parry had claimed the armrest, and grabbed the Journal off the side table. The two had been watching some kind of reality game show called the P-factor, but Leafos lowered the volume when she sat down and took the Journal from her. It didn't take long for Alice to learn how to use it, and by the time she had she was exhausted from memorizing how to work it. There were buttons that lead to other buttons and a button that lead back to the home screen or the precious screen. There were features that showed what a piñata liked or described people, places and things. Thankfully it also included color pictures that you could rotate to act as an example. It could take and store pictures, as well hold other things. It was a truly amazing device in Alice's opinion. By the time Leafos had finished showing her everything about it the sun was setting and Parry was curled into a ball asleep.

"That's everything." Leafos said then glanced out the window. "Oh shit, I've got to get home before the night piñatas come out." Leafos said handing her the Journal back and heading out the door. Alice locked it behind her, turned the Television off and gently picked Parry up before turning off the lights and heading towards the bedroom. She sat the Journal on her nightstand and slipped Parry out of her arms and onto the pillow beside her.

"Good night." she told him as he stretched and curled back up. _Nite_. Parry mumbled in his sleep. She grabbed her diary, putting her mental note along with the day's events inside. She made sure to write down how to operate the journal.

Slowly she put the diary back when she was done. She slipped under the covers putting her mask on the nightstand beside the Journal and flipping off the light just before she slipped away to the land of dreams, but she didn't sleep easily.

9


	3. Chapter Three: Beautiful Memories

Chapter Three: Beautiful Memories

The wind blew Alice's hair gently into her face as she ran under low hanging branches. The smells of the forest filled her nose and leaves of all different colors fell from the sky to float around her and into the path that she was taking. She stopped briefly, turning her head in all directions before taking off again at a different angle. Her ocean blue eyes scanned though the bushes and the canopies of the trees searching for something, or someone as her bare feet crunched against dried leaves. She was so focused on her search she didn't see the tree root materialize in front of her and she stumbled over it, landing on her hands and knees. Her hands stung from the impact and a throbbing pain began in her right knee as tears found their way to her eyes.

She turned over, cradling her hurt leg. She had scrapped the palms of her hands raw and her knee had left a mark of blood on the fallen leaves she had landed on. She'd done this same mistake many times before, but she had never gotten used to the pain that came from the fall.

Slowly she stood, tears filling her eyes but refusing to fall. "Lui?" She called "Lui, come out." Moments later her favorite piñata flew through the air overhead. It squawked once as he landed on her shoulder. The creature resembled that of a parrot, a Parrybo her mother had called it. He was colorful, like a rainbow, and bright purple eyes stared at her with concern. She'd found the bird piñata not a year ago lying on the forest floor beside the remains of a broken egg shell. Scratches covered the bottom of his beak, something that had never healed, and his wind had been turned at an odd angle. She had taken the creature back to her dad, cradling it carefully to her chest and eventually they were able to nurse him back to health. Then he had been black and white, but when the time came to release him, he had refused. Ever since he had grown attached to Alice, and just like her, he had refused to grow up.

"Lui," she told the bird petting him gently, "Go get mama, please." The Parrybo nodded once, and then he took to the sky flying well over the tips of the trees as Alice began her tread back home.

It took little more than ten minutes to reach the place Alice had always called home. By the time she reached the edge of the forest the sun had just climbed over the horizon to hang in the sky and her wound had left a trial of blood down her leg past her ankle. Slowly she stepped of the cool lush grass and onto the warm soft sand of the beach and headed for the small hut that faced the ocean. Even though her family didn't have much, for them it was enough, and she had lived here her entire life. The hut had been made from sturdy branches and planks from and abandoned ship that had wreaked on the shore before she had been born. It had been well made and could stand to the test of a strong ocean wind. Waves rolled and crashed onto the shore and Parrybo of assorted colors chirped and flew overhead circling the banana trees that surrounded her family's hut. Then, out of thin air, Lui appeared and landed on her shoulder.

"Mama!" Alice called as Lui rubbed against her cheek. Alice slowly limped towards home, the pain becoming too much for her young pain tolerance. By the time she neared the door, a woman had stepped out holding the door open for her child.

"Oh dear." Her mother gasped instantly noticing her daughter's wound. Her mother had long, bright red hair that curled around her shoulders in pretty loops and bright evergreen eyes that popped beside her light blue mask. The dress she wore was yellow and hung loosely from her scrawny shoulders. Slowly she lead Alice inside, telling her to sit on the bench her dad had made and poured water into a caldron like pot before sitting it above a fire to heat. She then grabbed a clean rag and looked at Alice with a frown. "What happened? Did you trip over a tree root again?" she asked dipping the rag in the pot that steam was pouring out of. She handed the rag to Alice as she nodded to tell her mother yes. "You need to be more careful." Her mother told her walking over to the open window where a small plant grew in the sunshine. Gently she tore off leaf and stuck it into her mouth to chew. Alice wiped the blood from her leg with the rag and carefully cleaned the wound. Her mother came over taking over to get what she had missed and then spit the plant substance out into her palm. She gently worked most the plant into her daughter's wound and then the rest into her palms. "You hear me?" She asked walking to a bowl to wash the plant off.

"Yes mama." Alice replied staring down at her wound. It was a mixture of red, green and pink, but the pain had vanished to be replaced with a cool feeling that made it easy to relax to. Slowly she stood up, testing how good the plant's healing properties were and realized she couldn't feel any pain, not even when she put all her weight on it. Her mother loved that plant, but Alice had never come to understand it, though she thanked it well enough for being there when she hurt or injured herself.

"Go," Her mother told her turning back around, "grab some clothes and wash up little kit."

"Okay." Alice said bouncing up and to her room. Lui had disappeared off her shoulder, which didn't surprise her. Lui had never like the look or smell of blood and couldn't stand to be around the red substance. But he sat on the lid of her chest when she walked in. He fluttered up to her shoulder looking woozy from looking at her red and green knee and leaned against her cheek to stabilize himself. He looked at her with worry evident in his eyes, then he squawked in her ear.

_You okay? _He asked

"Yeah," She told him opening the chest. Inside was a pile of clothes along with the toys she had adored so long ago but now ignored. It wasn't very much, but Alice hardly noticed. She probed through her small pile, picking out an outfit she knew her mother would approve of, a pair of panties and the training bra her mother insisted she needed to start wearing.

_We going to play_? He asked still concerned, but now probably for a different reason.

"No, I've got to go take a bath." She told her Parrybo closing her chest with a clank. Lui sighed and flew off her shoulder.

_We still going to Village_? He asked hovering by her window.

"Yes, I think so." Alice said holding her clothes. "I need to go, that way we can hurry up and get back to playing before daddy gets back. See you in a bit!" She told him before running out of the house and down a small beaten path. Her mother had called to her in an attempt to tell her something, but her words were lost to the wind as she ran.

It didn't take but a few minutes to reach the small spring she had been heading for. Trees and bushes surrounded it, hiding it away from plain sight. The forest's way of keeping a secret her father had said. Her family had used this spring ever since she had stumbled upon it by accident years ago. Thankfully she had already learned to swim by then, because had she not, she might not have made it home that day…

She threw her clean clothes down, far enough away that they wouldn't get wet, but close enough she could reach them if she needed to. Then she searched the area, checking just like her parents had told her to, and when she found nothing and no one, she stripped off her clothes throwing them into a messy pile before slipping down into the water's embrace.

The water was warm, even in the winter, because of the natural heating vents that rose from the ground right under the spring. The water didn't seem to have come from anywhere, though it drained away down a small stream and to the cold ocean before the water replaced itself time and time again. Alice combed her fingers through her hair, and then washed away the dirt and plant substance. She had forgotten all about the wound now, but now she focused on what her day would be like. She began to swim, feeling free like she owned the world, forever happily away from civilization. She wished more than anything that life would stay the way it was, forever happy and free. She dived down, swimming her head and flung water in all directions as she felt the cool breeze on her cheeks. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched, indicating someone or something was heading her way. Quickly Alice gasped a breath before diving back under again. Underwater she couldn't tell much, but she waited and slowly her lungs began to burn.

"Alice?" came her mother's worried muffled voice. She rose, breaking the surface of the calm water to see her mother's face twisted in horror. She had changed into a beautiful turquoise dress that hugged her curves and made her slim figure look flattering. She never wore that dress except under special occasions. In her arms was a towel, something Alice had forgotten. "Don't do that!" her mother scolded, but her expression quickly became soft, "Come on, get out."

"Okay." Alice said slipping out of the water already missing its warmth as it dripped from the tips of her hair and down her arms. Noticing her shivers her mother wrapped her in the towel and let her dry off as she retrieved her clothes. Alice slipped into her underwear, then allowed her mother to towel dry her hair before she pulled her white short sleeve shirt over her head and pulled on her black shorts that hung far enough down they covered her scabbing knee. Then her mother combed through her hair with her fingers, pulling her hair into two even braided pigtails. Alice then grabbed her dirty clothes as her mother grabbed the soggy towel and the two began to head for the hut.

Lui and her father were waiting on them inside when they arrived back home. Lui floated to Alice's shoulder as her dad held the door open for the only two women in his life. Her mother gave him a quick kiss heading inside towards the table. Her father was a fairly handsome man, strong with angles in all the right places. He wore a loose black shirt that sat on his shoulders and shorts that hung loosely from his hips. Blond hair hung short on his head and his forest green mask made his bright blue eyes evident. "Welcome home, Little Kit." he said giving her a hug.

"Hi daddy." She said hugging him back. "Can I go with you next time?"

"Only if you get up early enough to beat the birds." he said laughing then patted her back leading her towards the table. In the center was a basket with an assortment of fruit her father had gone out foraging for that morning. I consisted of Bananas that grew outside to the apples that grew on the south side of the forest to the blueberry and blackberry patches on the east.

Alice sat down, Lui still on her shoulder, and grabbed a banana, a handful of random blueberries and blackberries and a small apple. She tossed a couple berries in the air for Lui to catch, and without fail, Lui flew up and caught each in his beak, crushing them with his tongue. Lui was… different. While most Parrybos stuck to a strict diet of certain fruits Lui would eat anything in sight, especially seeds. He loved seeds, it didn't matter what kind, he would eat them all. Slowly he fluttered his way back down and landed on the table picking off the berries one by one like a cat and a mouse. Alice watched him, giggling with her young voice before biting into her apple. Juices filled her mouth and swelled around her lips as the sweet taste covered her tongue. Nature had ripened the apple to perfection. She ate slowly savoring the flavor of it with each and every bite. Her parents had told her to eat just as she should live, go slow and save the best of moments, in fact that was their favorite saying.

When she had finished she reached for the banana, setting the core of the apple aside. Lui jumped on her shoulder as she began to peel the fruit and he looked at it with big wide eyes of desperation. Blue stained the tips of his beak and formed a ring from where he had plucked off all the berries.

_Please_? He pleaded, _Can I has some_?

Alice, knowing he would ask, looked away making it seem like she was studying the table. "Why?" She asked turning her head defiantly away from him. "You didn't save me any berries."

_Me so sorry. Cam me has some now_?_ Pllleeasse_?

"Yes," She said peeling the rest of the banana and broke of the tip. "There," She said poking the chunk into his mouth.

_Thank you_. He mumbled trying hard not to choke.

"Your welcome." She told him shoving hers in her mouth to imitate him. She tried hard not to laugh, but before long her face curled into a smile as she fell from her chair bursting out laughing, choking on the chunk of banana while Lui did the same in her chair. Eventually Alice was able to get up, and when she did Lui landed on her shoulder. She grabbed the apple core and the banana peel and tossed them into the basket on her rush to the door.

"Wait." Her father called to her. "Come here, Little Kit." Alice turned, closing the door she had opened not a slit second before, and started to walk slowly back to the table. She had been afraid this would happen. Her parents had suddenly changed their minds, probably because they remembered the last time she went. They weren't going to the village. She'd only been one other time, and it had been less than enjoyable, she also didn't have her faithful companion. There hadn't been many people, but those that were there were of all different colors and shapes. She had thought them monsters, but now she knew. They were people, though her parents had to spend weeks explaining that to her. She had run off in fright and had gotten lost somewhere at the edge of the village and had stumbled into a ditch, inevitability spraining her ankle. Her father had to carry her home that day, tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes puffy and red. She had only been five then, and now that she was ten she was going to brave it again and overcome her fear. Now, however she wouldn't be able to. "Sit." he commanded gently and she did.

What her father said was final, and no one ever seemed to challenge him, not even the random people from across the ocean that had wanted to buy his land with something called money. Her father had always refused, even though he had come from over the seas himself. Alice often wondered if he ever wanted to go back. Her thoughts drifted off, but when her father opened her mouth she snapped back to what was important now. He had never gone against her mother, but she still feared what he was about to say. "Your mother and I," he said grabbing his wife's hand and pausing briefly. "want to give you something before we go." He said finishing and letting go of her mother's hand. Alice's heart lifted at his words, and when her mother made to stand up, Alice jumped up as well.

"Come here, close your eyes." Her mother instructed, and Alice did. She ran around the table, nearly tripping over one of the chair legs and stood in front of her mother. She closed her eyes. "Hold out your hands, and don't drop it." Alice held out her hands. Instantly something was placed in her palms. It wasn't exactly heavy, but it wasn't a feather. "You can open your eyes now, Little Kit." Her mother laughed. What Alice saw was a mask. It was completely black, whiskers hung out beside a pale pink nose and pink centered ears stood on top.

Alice screamed.

Joy was spilling over inside her as she hugged the mask to her chest. She jumped up and down erratically sending Lui flying off her shoulder with ringing ears. Her mother eventually had to grab her by the shoulders to calm her down. She plucked the mask from her daughters grip then turned her away from her. Carefully she fitted the mask over her face and tied the ribbon on the back.

It fit perfectly around her face, and her ocean blue eyes sparkled, still overcome by joy. Alice turned around when her mother had finished tying the ribbon into a boy. "Thankyouthankyou THANKYOU!" Alice nearly screamed hugging her mother and then her father. She had wanted a mask for the past few years, but they were so expensive. Her parents must have save money up for ages to buy her the one she now wore.

"Come on." her parents said in unison leading her towards the door as Lui landed back on her shoulder.

_Alice_? Lui asked.

"Yes." she replied as they left to head for the village. Her trip there was enjoyable, but by the time they went to leave, Alice had fallen in love with the sights and people. They ate at the only Dinner and went shopping with what money they had left. People stopped them to complement her mask and talk to her and her parents. At the end of the day, she made her parents promise to bring her more often.

4

TRP_FD_C3


	4. Chapter Four: The Uninvited

Chapter Four: The Uninvited

Alice could feel something, most likely Parry she assumed, bouncing up and down on her shoulder. He was squawking about something but, in her dream-like state, she tried to tune him out. In doing so, what his in-human voice was trying to say became clear. _Are you up? Get up. Are you up?_ He asked sticking his beak beside her ear. _Are you up? Get up. Get up. Are you up?_

"Go away." Alice mumbled turning over on her stomach and throwing a pillow over the back of her head so her face was smashed against the mattress. Parry was forced to slide from her shoulder to her back in an awkward tumble.

_Get up_! He scream-squawked before jabbing his beak between her shoulder blades.

Alice shot up knocking Parry off the edge of the bed and pressed her fingers gently over the spot he had pecked, pain and tears filling her eyes. "What the fuck was that for?" she demanded. His reply was a single word, but it had a tremendous effect on her as she fluttered slowly back on the edge of the bed.

_Seven_.

Alice stole a glance to her left where her cheap digital clock that sat on her nightstand. The face read 6:42. "Shit!" She screamed jumping up out of the bed and pulled the sheets and a tangled up Parry with her. "Sorry!" She told him as he squeaked out a started cry and she unlatched her ankle, then rushed to her closet. She grabbed the only thing that was inside, a lone yellow sundress that hung in a dessert of empty hangers, grabbed a pair of panties and a bra from the top drawer of her dresser and, clutching her clothes to her chest, ran to the bathroom bumping into the corner of the dresser on her way out of the room. She was in such a rush she didn't notice until after she had dropped her clothes on the counter beside the sink. It began as an annoying ach as she flipped the shower water on so it could warm up and then a full jabbing pain as she threw her clothes in the washer, she stopped for a heart beat to take a breath and check out the place that hurt in the mirror, her skin was already beginning to change from the tan of her skin to the blacks and blues of a forming bruises, Then she jumped in the shower willing herself not to feel the pain. "I'm going to be late!" she kept whispering to herself under her breath.

She showered as fast as she could, combing through her hair with her fingers and what little was left of her shampoo and conditioner she had left. That was what took the longest, because her body took virtually no time at all. However, she couldn't stop thinking about the reoccurring dream she had been having over the past few days. She had gotten her garden almost a month ago now, but she didn't have much time to dwell on things between her gardening and part-time job. Ever since she's dwelled on what she didn't know for certain. She was certain the dream was a memory about her childhood. She wasn't sure yet though. The dream answered a few of the questions she had, but it didn't answer everything. Actually, it left her with more questions than it did answers. _What happened to her parents? Did they think she was dead? Where was the Parrybo that had been her childhood friend_? These questions and ones like them tormented her now. She felt as if she already knew the answer to some of them. Like her body remembered, but she didn't. Like she didn't want to.

She turned the water off and grabbed a towel, her mind still in her thoughts until Alice realized she was going to be even later if she didn't hurry. She dried off as quickly as she could, hand dried her hair with the towel and then, throwing it in the washer with the clothes she had fallen asleep in, pulled on her panties, fastened her bra and slipped into her dress. She grabbed her brush from the second drawer and began tugging knots out of her head until her scalp was sore. She didn't have time to finish drying it, or fix it, so she let it hang down so it could finish. Then she ran back to her bedroom debating with herself the entire time is she should wear the sandals she had bought to go with the dress.

Back inside the room she grabbed her mask off the nightstand, nearly dropping it in the process. She then grabbed the small black backpack she used as a purse, made sure her keys and wallet was inside and slid on the small cutes sandals. One of the last things she did was check the clock, which read 6:59, and clip the belt around her waist and pull the gloves over her hands and the scar that had formed on the one. It would take at least five minutes to get to work, and she needed to leave quickly. She gave a sleeping Parry, who had fallen asleep on _her_ pillow, a quick kiss on the forehead and left the room heading towards the living room.

When she opened the door Leafos was there, her copy of the house key in hand ready to unlock the door. "Hi!" She said in her usual cheery voice.

"Sorry. Running late." Alice told her as she slipped by. "Can you feed them for me? Parry knows where the food is. Thanks." Then she ran off towards the village using the wooden walkway/bridge. She didn't even take the time to take in the beautiful sunrise or the process of her small garden.

~_Parry_~

_I sat lonely as always. I hated Alice's leave. Hated it to candy core. I no know if she return. I no wanna follow like obedient Barkbark either. I knew the truth. Alice didn't. She no remember. Everyone forgot her. Everyone but me an Lester. Ten years, no one remembered. No one. I wonder how she disappear. Here then gone. Poof! I waited. I waited ten years. She never return. I waited though. I knew when I saw. She returned. That why I save her. I knew her. Loved her. I missed her. She no remember me. She remember nothing. I hurt. Not physical, but I hurt. I no understand this. I hope. I hope she remember. She know me as Parry. I not Parry. I Lui. I hate Parry. But l love her. So I let her call me that name. I hope she remember. I hope bad. _

_I tucked my beak to my body closer as she walked in. She grab her mask, kiss me and leave. That all I saw. It reminded me. I hate that day. The first day I lost her. How I lost her. I hate it. I hate them. The pirates. They came to shore. Far from home, but close too. They found hut, found Alice and Parents. I with her. I remember well. They grab her. Her mom too. Took them. I tried follow, but my wings tired. I lost them. I returned home. Food gone. Alice gone. Her dad tied. I help him. It was three years until I saw her again. Her dad died after first. He heartbroken. Was heartbroken. Like me. But I found her on shore dat day too. But she remember me. Now she no Remember me. I wanna cry. I can't cry. I gotta make her remember. She has too. _

_I hid my face under my wing as another, Leafos, came in. I pretend to be asleep. I did same to Alice. My hopes will not come true today. Maybe never. But I still hope. Leafos's voice boomed from door, _"That may fool Alice, but it doesn't fool me." _I like Leafos, don't trust, but like. _"Come and Help me prepare the other's food please." _I nodded. I didn't wanna. I follow anyway. _

_I never stopped hoping though. Couldn't. Wouldn't. Ever. _

~Alice~

Life at the dinner wasn't just slow, it was non existent. "So… What do you do all day?" Alice asked Dantee. Three hours had gone by already and not a single customer had come to the dinner since she began, that was almost a week ago. Alice seemed to forget how boring life at the dinner was in the morning when she got up. However, every minute she was late cost her three dollars docked pay per hour, so it wasn't really worth being late either.

"Whatever we want really." Dantee said her hair whipping into her face as she turned. She was wearing a plain short sleeve t-shirt and light blue jean pants with the standard white half apron with a small blue Barkbark on the corner that they were forced to wear. Alice had only begun to wear it about ten minutes ago, mainly because it had just come in the mail. "There isn't much to do here is there Bob?" She shouted to the man behind the fryer, which is where he seemed to like to stay.

"No, not much to do since the place is a rat hole. Just be happy your getting paid to do nothing all day. That's my advice." he said sticking his pink Rashberry mask out of the open window. Despite his murderous look, he seemed harmless enough. His mask winked, since it covered his entire face, at Dantee before he said, "But I could make the day sooo much more exciting if you just come back here sweetie."

Dantee looked at him with the sternest and most serious face Alice had seen since she woke up on the beach. "SOOO not going to happen."

"I'm joking baby doll… unless you like it?" He said smiling a ten watt smile. Dantee's response was flipping him off. "I'm sure you'd like to sweetie." Was his comeback.

"So you just get paid to do nothing all day? Except serve the random stragglers who happen to find their way here?" Alice asked trying to change the subject.

Dantee looked at her, practically ignoring Bob. "Pretty much."

"And the owner never comes by to, I don't know, check in?"

Dantee shook her head, "No. We've never seen the guy." she said scooting into the booth her and Leafos had just sat on their first time at the Dinner. "The guy who owns the place is old and very, very rich. Hopefully though, the next owner will be me." She said with a smile. "Once I save enough money I plan to buy this rat hole from him and change it for the better. However, the old man might not have long to live either, so if he were to, say, croak over and die, I could possibly get the Dinner that way too. He doesn't have any heirs, but in order to get the place, he would have to put me in his will. But it could be five or more years before that happens, if he puts me in, which I doubt. I've been working here for two or so years, ever since I was your age really."

"Sweetie, No one has worked here longer than I have." Bob called from the kitchen window, sending another wink towards Dantee.

"Maybe we should change that." She mumbled under her breath something about wishing he would stop. "You've worked here since before me! I'm eight fucking teen, Bob! What are you? Eighty? It's obviously not going to happen! GET OVER YOURSELF!" She said flipping him off again. He looked generally wounded, complete with sad puppy dog eyes and scrunched up nose.

"I'm not eighty… I'm thirty-two…" He said seeming to miss the rest of her statement. "Plus, I'm the best damn man on Piñata Island. In many ways." He smiled a sly smile towards both of them, already over his depressed sudden mood swing. Dantee just rolled her eyes. But it was Alice's turn to flip him off.

"Not gonna happen here either." She told him with an aggravated slight smile.

"Was worth a shot." He shrugged.

"Maybe try to find someone your age perhaps." Dantee mumbled to Alice, but Bob caught the sentence.

"Most women my age don't have the stamina I do." He said flipping them both off. Alice and Dantee fell into hysterical laughter watching him; his fingers were bent at awkward angles making the gesture weird and hardly recognizable. "Fuck you two." He said walking away from the window.

"I bet you would like to." Alice whispered to Dantee, and they busted back into laughter again.

"So, anyway." Dantee began. "Did you remember anything about your past recently?"

Alice answered with a guilty look to her, "No,"

"Uh, no no. You remember something! Tell me! I promise not to tell anyone!" She practically begged.

"No, I just… please don't take this personal, but I just don't know who I can and can't trust yet."

Dantee seemed wounded, but she didn't press on, mainly because a customer actually walked in. It was the first customer Alice had seen since she had started. Dantee stood and went to great the visitor. He had a plain black mask and shaggy black hair that had practically formed dreadlocks. On his shoulder sat a small brown baby bird, a Sparrowmint. Dantee stood there a moment talking to him, telling him to take a seat anywhere most likely, he politely shook his head and responded something back. Alice couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't take her long to guess when Dantee beckoned her over. She got up and headed their way, and with a single polite nod she asked the man, "May I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Nate," He said holding out his hand towards her, and they shook. "Are you Alice Royal?" he asked.

"Yes, that's me." She told him wondering what exactly he wanted.

"A friend of mine told me that you have an extraordinary gift. She said you can understand piñatas, communicate with them even. I would like to know if that is true." He said with a nice genuine smile. Up close she could tell the Sparrowmint wasn't but a few days old, a week at the most, and its face was set in sadness. However, Alice took little time to care, for she was furious. She knew exactly who had told him, because only one other person knew.

"Who told you that?" Alice asked acting surprised and unknowing to the best of her abilities, but deep inside rage filled her core and she felt as if she could attack 'Nate' and not care.

"Leafos did."

"She lied to you. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"She said you might say as much…" he began trying to get the truth from her.

"I can't speak with piñatas now leave me alone 'Nate'." She said sourly. "Unless I can get you something to eat or drink, otherwise you're not welcome here." She said walking away to go sit back down.

"That's too bad I was willing to pay good money for services like that." He said to her back.

"How much?" Dantee asked.

"At least a thousand or two. Possibly more." Nate said with a sly smile to Alice's back. Dantee gasped and dragged Alice off to the side with a rushed whisper.

"That's a lot of money!" She rasped as quietly as she could, but you could hear the excitement in her voice. "Can you really speak to piñatas?"

"No…" She started to say, and then Dantee sent her a glare. Somehow she knew Alice was lying, so she decided not to. "Yes, I can."

"You owe Leafos like twenty thousand or something…"

"Sixteen thousand and…"

"I don't care at the moment. Bottom line, you owe money. You wanna pay this money back right? Right. It's an easy way to make money! You don't have to do anything but talk to a piñata! How bad can that be?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to do it!" She whispered back as she could hear the tapping of Nate's impatient foot. "I can't believe she would tell anyone since I told her not too!"

"This can benefit us both!" She exclaimed. "I can get the place up and running and you can make some money! You only work half a week anyway! Get them to buy food, once the word gets around money will flow here! Kill two piñatas with one stick! Ohh, that was a bad metaphor, very bad."

"Yeah, it kinda was. But fine. But only for a little while." She said straightening up and walking back over to 'Nate'. "Here's the deal," She began, "I'll talk to which ever piñata you want me too, but only one at the moment…"

"Great." He said sticking out his hand once more. "We have a deal."

"You didn't let me finish. I'll talk to your piñata, but you got to sit down and order something off the menu too. Once you're finished, I'll do what I have to do. I don't want to, mind you, but I will. I could use the money at the moment." She said as Nate put his hand back out. Alice shook it, not realizing she used the hand that was now scared. "Do you need to look at a menu? What would you like to drink?" She asked him.

"You wouldn't happen to have red wine would you?"

"I'm sorry, but no."

"Hmm, then I'll take a glass of water and…." he hesitated looking over the menu at a brisk pace. "the chicken sandwich with corn and fries."

"Anything for your Sparrowmint?" She asked him, but she directed the question to the piñata. It responded, quite loudly, with _Candy_.

"No, nothing." he said. She scribbled the order down on a pad and tore the page off to slide in the kitchen window. Then she and Dantee took their place behind the counter watching him intently while he tried, but failed to cheer up the small piñata.

"What do you think is wrong with the poor thing?" Dantee whispered.

"Don't know yet. Did he just call his Sparrowmint Johnny?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"You named your female Sparrowmint Johnny?" She asked him.

"Yeah, wait, female? How can you tell?"

"Trade secret. But it's female."

"Hmm…. Okay." He said looking back at the small thing. He asked it a question and it nodded. "Sorry." he told it as Bob popped the bell to tell them the food was ready. "I'll call you Jenny from now on." He said with a smile.

"Here you go," Alice said setting the plate in front of him with his water and the bowl of candy. "The candy is on the house." She told him before returning to her spot behind the counter. He ate in silence as the two watched and when he was finished Dantee came by and picked up his dishes before taking them in the kitchen. Alice handed him the ticket and he glanced at it and pulled some spare coins out and handed them to her.

"Will you see what is wrong with my piñata now?" He asked her with sad eyes.

"That was the deal wasn't it?" She said before he cupped the small bird in his hand and sat her on the table as Alice slithered into the booth on the other side of him. "What's wrong sweetie." She asked it. It remained silent for a few moments then a screeching sound filled the air as it began to talk.

_The others don't like me._

"What others?"

_The other bird piñatas. The other Sparrowmints. They all hate me. _

"Why do you say that?" She said glancing up at Nate's amazed look on his face.

_Because I'm different. Most think I'm a child. I'm fully grown! But I'm still treated as a child. I don't want to be anymore. I'm an adult! I should be treated as one! _

Alice tilted her head to the side a bit before a crashing came from the kitchen. The three of them turned to look towards it. Dantee was sitting there smiling a big fat grin on her face. "Sorry, he was much to close to me for my liking. I just had to punch him." She said as Alice just rolled her eyes.

"You're full grown? You look no more than maybe a week old."

_That's what I mean! I wish people would stop treating me differently just because I didn't grow like the others. _She frowned and drooped her head down. _They all think I'm defective_.

"Well the others can go fuck themselves." She told the bird. "If they treat you differently then that is just denying them the pleasure to be around you and get to know you. You're special, not defective. If they don't like you that's their loss."

_But I want them to like me._

"Then show them who you really are. You have unique abilities that they probably don't have."

_I can escape anything, _she smiled_, and go undetected if I want._

"See, you're unique. Don't let them get to you. You're perfect the way you are. I like you this way. I think it's cute. I always wish my piñatas could stay this size." Alice smiled at her, gently petting her on the head affectionately.

_You own a garden? _

"Yep, just outside the village in fact. You can see it later if you want."

_I would like that. _The Sparrowmint smiled and nodded her head, then fluttered back to her owner's shoulder. Alice smiled at her and Nate just looked at her with surprise.

"What did she say?" He asked Alice.

"The others treat her as a child, which she isn't anymore." She said and waited to see his surprised face again, but when it didn't come she continued, "She wants them to treat her as an adult, and she has some amazing abilities too. Oh, and she wishes to come and see my garden if that is okay with you?" She said and waited for him to respond. He sat there, considering all of it within his mind.

"She really wanted to see your garden? You own one?" Alice nodded her response. "Well then, I guess we should go see it." He smiled. "When can we go?"

"Bob can watch the Dinner while we go." Dantee offered right away. "If anyone asks we're on break at the moment." She said with a smile.

"I guess now is fine. I need to check on my piñatas anyway." Alice said standing up to untie her apron. She went into the kitchen and hung it on the rack. When she left, Dantee was right behind her, her apron hung beside Alice's. "Are you ready?" She asked the Sparrowmint, but Nate nodded along with his little bird piñata. "Okay." She said leading them from the dinner. It took no longer than five minutes to reach the edge of her garden. But by the time they did she was glad to be home and see all of her piñatas running around happily and running to her to rub against her leg when they spotted her. Now she took the time to take in the progress of her garden.

Turnips and Carrots had finished growing in the small wire fence garden she had made her second day in the garden, her Mousemallow house beside it on the side and the family of three running around chasing each other. The Sparrowmint house on the other side of the garden diagonal of her house with the four fluttering in the breeze and the mother landing on Alice's head. Her Whirlms, the largest family she had at the moment wiggled their way to the garden, the two sets of twins spiked and eared babies following close to their mothers. The Bunnycombs marched and bounced together happily even though there were only two of them. Her Bispotti, only one, slept in the puddle by her house, and then her favorite piñata of all came flying out of her house in front of Leafos to land on her shoulder.

Alice pet him, his chin rising with her caress. He angled his head to the side, and she caught glance of something, but she wasn't sure what it was until she grabbed his beak and angled it up so she could see it clearly in the sunlight. It was scars and suddenly the dreams came back. Lui. This bird was the Parrybo that had been her childhood friend. The scars were the same from the dream, but she had not seen them since she woke up. She was compelled to call him who he really was, but refrained to until the others left. "What did you do?" She asked him, making it seem he had most likely injured himself. She could see the injured look in his eyes and she knew what he was thinking even before he squawked.

_You no remember me. You no remember!_ He screamed before flying away to sit on the wire fence with his back turned towards Alice.

"Parry!" She called after him, but it was a lost cause at the moment.

"You have a lovely beginning garden. What are you, Level five?" Nate asked

"Level six." Alice corrected him just before one of the Sparrowmints, the youngest of the four, came over and sat on the shoulder closest to Jenny.

_Hello_, he said to her, _My name is Yen, what's yours? _He asked. He was fully grown, like Jenny, but only slightly bigger in size due to his egg falling over in the small pond.

_Jenny. Nice to meet you_. she said shyly.

_Are you like me? You're grown right? I can tell! You don't sound like a child to me. _He smiled at her.

_Yes_, she smiled at him as well_. I'm no child. Though the others back home think I am._

_Well they're mean then._

_They can be. _

_How old are you?_

_Seven weeks._

_I'm four weeks old. I chose to grow up too soon I think. _

_I think you chose the perfect time. _She said smiling at him and edging her way over.

"Yen, you can follow Jenny if you want back home. I don't care. Just be home by tomorrow please."

"Your letting your child Sparrowmint go with a stranger?" Nate asked.

"No, I'm letting my responsible _ADULT_, Sparrowmint go home with someone who actually knows what it's like to be like him. But I will hold you responsible for him." She said smiling before catching a glimpse of something red out of the corner of her eye. "What's that?" Alice asked turning her head towards it. It was small red candy. She didn't know what it was but one of her Whirlm twins was wiggling their way away from their mother and to it. "Where did that come from?" She asked walking over towards it to pick it up.

But she was too late. The small thing twisted and turned, changing from its bright orange color to a sickly green. Alice screamed.

"I'll go get the doctor!" Leafos and Dantee both screamed at the same time racing each other towards the walkway to the village.

"Markus…" Alice said picking the poor thing up. It had grown up sometime last night, and now this had happened to it so early in its life?

"Here." Nate said dropping a coin purse beside her. "Use it to help you pay for the doc. There is twenty thousand in it, and we can call it an investment." He said grimly. "Come on Jenny, let's go home. I think Yen should stay here tonight and help Alice. What do you think?" Jenny nodded slightly and before Alice knew what was happening, they were gone.

~Lester~

I walked around my office for moments before I noticed the screens. I was thinking of a way to try and rid Piñata Island of the imposter, the one who called herself Alice Royal. I knew all too well that Alice Royal was dead. It was all thanks to _him_ too. I can't say his name to this day for what he did to her. If he hadn't lured her onto that boat, she would still be alive. Plus, if the imposter had even an inkling of smarts she would have known that Alice died over ten years ago. No way in hell would she still look the same, even if she had survived.

But there my mind goes again, slipping away into the past. _Get over it Lester_, I told myself, _she's never coming back_. I glanced over at the monitors for a moment, but it was all I needed. 'Alice' sat there holding one of her deformed, prized piñatas she had hatched. It was sickly and at the sight a smile smirked across my face. I grabbed the closest thing to me, a container filled with pens, and threw them at my assistant. He snapped up, awake from his small 'nap', as he would call it and glared at me with his good eye. He was lazy, never wanting to do anything. His other eye, squinted in the glare also, stared off slightly to the side. It was hardly noticeable, until you got to know him. But it was evident neither of his eyes matched. "Get up you incompetent lazy bum." I told him and he tried glaring at me harder. "Try any harder at that and your eyes will pop out of their sockets. You know I'm immune to your 'glares', Dastardos."

"Shut up Pester." He told me and I nearly backhanded him. Instead I turned back to the screen.

"You have a job to do." I told him. He was younger than me but the candy I had given him ten years ago had basically shrunk his brain back to the age of a teen, where I was more a man, as it should be. Well, a younger, more immature teen than he was, and had colored his hair gray. To me he was nothing, but not quite something that was disposable and easily replaced. The candy had corrupted him, happily to my favor, and ever since he's worked for me. But he got on my damn nerves most of the time.

"Not now Pester, I was in the middle of a nap."

"Well get your lazy ass up and do as a say. I'm not going to ask. I'll just get one of my minions to throw you down the mountain. Are we clear?"

"Leave me alone Lester. I'll do it in about an hour."

This time I did backhand him, so hard in fact it was surprising his mask didn't crack. "DO NOT EVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" I yelled at him, my temper lost to temporary insanity. "Now go and do the damn job! It's not of the nature that can wait, and I'm beginning to lose my patience with you, Dastardos. Do not make me angry. I want you to go and murder her piñata, are clear? Patch is out on another job, one you happened to miss because of your fucking 'nap'. Get down there, NOW!" I said walking out. One of my minions, the only female type I had, stood outside the door. "If he isn't out that door in five minutes throw him down the side of the volcano." I told her on my way towards the lava room. The halls were just as I liked them, neatly redone in black and red again, considering the last person I had fed the mountain with had torn them up. I didn't take long in there, just long enough to throw about three pieces of my sour candy into the lava and left for my quarters. I was in the mood for a nap myself. But first I would wait and carry out my visit after Dastardos left her garden. My minions would be ready by then. All I needed was an opening, and I had found it.

There was a minion outside my bedroom door, his green hair set in a Mohawk, "Get me when Dastardos leaves the garden, and make sure the others are ready." I told him, and then slipped into my room with an evil laugh. Not long after that I could hear Dastardos's ass sliding down the side of the volcano, his umphs muffled by the rocks. I couldn't help but laugh once more

~Alice~

Alice sat there sobbing waiting for the two to bring the doctor to her garden. Minutes passed as she cradled it close to her chest, Parry somewhere else. She didn't even notice the man come up next her.

"Hello," he said tapping her on the shoulder. "Do you need help with your piñata?" he offered, "I know a way to help it."

Alice looked at him. She had never seen him in her life. He wore a twisted red mask, red shirt, and a striped green scarf around his neck. He was practically covered in dirt. At his side hung a stick and he _floated_ inches off the ground. She had never seen anything like it in her life. She nodded and handed her piñata over unknowingly. It must have been an hour since the two had left, and she didn't know when they would be back. "Who are you?" She asked him, "How are you able to float as you are?"

He studied the piñata a while before setting it down on the ground a foot or so away from Alice. "My name is Dastardos." He said bringing the stick from his side and into the air in a single fluid motion. He saw the startled recognition in her eyes as he brought the stick down to smash the poor thing. Alice lunged for it, but as quick as she was all she grabbed hold of was candy broken free of its hard paper mache prison. Dastardos had smashed one of her prized piñatas. Then he angled the stick towards her and her sobs returned with greater force now that she had lost something so dear to her heart. Dastardos stared at her for a moment, his bad eye wondering a bit, and spoke, "You look familiar, have we meet before? No matter. Let this be a warning for you, take care of your piñatas better and you won't have to face the consequences. I have freed a doomed soul from your grasp and soon, I'll free more." Then he turned away from her, placing the stick back at his side and floated away, knocking dust and dirt off of him as he headed back towards the volcano that had Professor Pester's face carved into the top of it.

Alice watched him go, dread and despair filling her to the brim. Big heavy tears poured down her face and splattered onto the broken shell of a piñata that was quickly fading into the ground leaving only the life and filler candy behind. She plucked what she could off the ground and held it in her arms as the two ran back down on the walkway. Had she waited, and hadn't given the Whirlm to the strange man, she could have avoided such tragedy. "Sorry we took so long," They said in unison before glaring at each other. "The doc was on another call. We had to… Oh no." They saw the small remaining shards of sickly orange and green shell fading quickly and the candy within her arms. Running behind them in a small car thing was a man in the monkey mask she had woken up to see after being taken hostage by Pester. She knew he was the doctor before she even saw the license plate.

"Damn," he cursed, "I-I'm too d-da-damn late. I'm so-sorry, I wa-was on another j-jo-job." he stuttered before giving Alice a truly apologetic face. "Yo-you have my con-condo-condolences, Ms. Roy-Royal." Then he turned and just left without another word, possibly off to another job.

"I'll clock you out at work and send a note to the big man, tell him why. Don't worry about coming in for the rest of the week Alice." Dantee said giving her a small pat on the shoulder with sympathetic eyes, then left heading back for the Dinner. Leafos just… disappeared without so much as a word. Everyone had left her to deal with her first tragic loss alone. Parry fluttered over to land on her shoulder, his eyes dazed at what he had seen and his candied heart feeling like it could beat thousands of times in a second if it could at all.

Alice didn't glance up at him, but she did stand and carried the remainders of her lost piñata, and the pouch of coins, with her towards the house. "I do remember somethings, Lui." She told him and watched the joyful and startled light in his eyes flicker and shine brightly. "But I don't want the others to know yet. I want to remember more before I do. I want to remember exactly how it was I disappeared. I want to know who is responsible. Do you know anything about my past?" She asked him and he nodded.

~Lester~

I never remember dozing off, only being woken up by the Mohawk minion of mine. He grunted a few things and I was whipping the sheet off of me in general surprise. I hadn't expected Dastardos to work so fast, he never did anything fast. Or maybe perhaps I was out longer than I thought. I should have looked at a clock before dozing off, but I didn't have time to dwell on that now, or ever in fact. My busy life was too hectic for that.

I followed my loyal minion down to the training room, where all new minions were made. I took my place behind the pedestal on the stage at the front, my confidence that this would go extremely well high. "Today, we be rid Piñata Island of the Imposter, the one who calls her Alice Royal!" I shouted to them and when I heard nothing I glared at them. They shifted uncomfortably then, and even a few half-assed woos were whispered among the crowd of eight. I didn't think I would need so many to do a simple job but, I could always assign them medial jobs to do. "Dastardos has left her weak from sorrow, and if we are to break her down and make her leave we must strike now! Otherwise, the encounter will just encourage her!" I realize then that I let my emotions devise my plan, but I tell myself it would help take the island. But I did not realize all the damage I could be doing to my master plot by completing this one. No, I tell myself, do not think of such things. The woman has stolen the plot of land I would one day claim as my own by force. I would build what I wish too and collect the piñatas across the island, one of each kind. Sadly, the retarded minion I had chosen for the job had erased the files I sought to possess. But I care not at the moment. All I cared about was getting rid of her. "Are we ready?!" I shout to them, and this time they all cheer. Whether it was excitement at the thought of breaking something, or something else, I did not know or care.

~Alice~

Alice had just put the candy in a small container, one that she would not be able to see through when she noticed the red figures running down the volcano side. She looked out her window and watched them. As they got closer to the base, she noticed who was leading them, Professor Pester and eight of his minion people were with him. Then her heart broke when he stepped over the small white chalk line of her garden. Lui was sitting on the couch watching her, and she knew, even though she didn't want to, she had to do something to keep at least him safe from Professor Pester. She only wished she could do more. She ran to the door and locked it behind her as she left. Lui bounced off the door and then to the window screaming, _NO, Alice please come back! _She didn't even glance back but once to give him an apologetic look.

By the time she reached her garden, most the houses were broken, only the Bunnycomb's house stood alone, the fence was broken apart into pieces and the vegetables and flowers inside and around it smashed into a pulp. Pester was in the dead center of the garden, and she walked straight up to him. She tried not to notice that some of her piñata were being attacked, because she knew, even if she could stop one, nothing would stop another for going after it again. She didn't think when she did it, only saw the reaction.

Her hand flew through the air in a fist towards Pester's face, but it never made contact. His eyes were alight with rage and desire as he held her fist within her own. She knew then, that she knew him from long before, but she didn't know how. She could feel a bone snapping in her hand when he pressed down with his and a frown, not the smile she would have expected, was spread across his face. "You dare to strike me." He said. Alice knew her face was showing much more pain than she would have liked, but there was nothing she could do. He had her exactly where he wanted her, weak and vulnerable. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I already told you." She responded trying to snatch her hand away from him, but his grip was too strong. It didn't help that he grabbed her other wrist when she tried to use it to help herself get free. "My name is Alice Royal."

"Prove to me then. Prove that you are who you say you are."

Alice's face when blank with fear, how was she supposed to do that? "What kind of proof do you want? Will you call off your… minions?" She asked.

He smiled; he knew when she said it that she wouldn't be able to provide it. "Tell me what you said to me the first time we meet over ten years ago."

"Umm, you're a sick narcissistic bastard who gets joy from watching others suffer?" She guessed practically speaking her mind. He frowned. "I don't know, I don't remember."

"Because you are not Alice Royal. You are some kind of imposter, and only I'm left to remember her. Maybe, that is for the better, but you will not take her identity, not as long as I still live." He said grabbing her by the throat with the hand that held her wrist and raising her up into the air, letting go of her fist. "Leave, and never return, or you will suffer more than a broken bone and garden little imposter. This is your warning. I will not give another." He said as she struggled against his strength. She would have bruises around her neck, and slowly the area around her faded to shades of gray. She remembered nothing after falling to the ground, but when she awoke, her garden was bare with disaster. Broken houses and piñata candy littered the ground, grass torn and scorched in areas, and her heart broken among the chaos. She didn't write in her journal until later that night, relaying all she could remember, the cruelty of what Pester had done. She counted the money out to repay Leafos and left it on the table truly considering what he had said. Parry and her sat in silence, mourning together, until she finally decided she would not be bullied away. _No, Pester would pay for what he's done, to me and everyone else. _She thought to herself before heading off to bed.


	5. Chapter Five: Its a Pirate's Life

Chapter Five: It's a Pirates Life

Alice sat around the house in misery, mourning over the lost lives of her piñatas and garden. She hated Pester, and hated herself for not being able to remember. One small detail from her past, and all of this could have been avoided. _They hadn't deserved that_, she keep repeating to herself every second of the days that passed by silently. _I failed them_. Leafos would arrive early in the morning trying to coach her back to working; Dantee would phone her asking if she was coming by the dinner so they could talk, Joe and Benny tried desperately to lull her out of her house to redecorate. To all of her friends' efforts, they could not cheer her up. Lui tried, and failed, many times to too, but even he could not bring her from her gloomy world. By Saturday she was wishing she would have just stayed dead so she wouldn't have had to go through such sorrow.

She hadn't eaten since Monday when her stomach growled so loud even her Parrybo could hear it.

_Alice, eat_. He scolded at him grabbing an apple and bringing it to her and dropping it in her lap. Alice ignored it at first before picking it up and setting it on the end table by the couch. _EAT! Please eat_! He screamed at her.

"I'm not hungry." She told him, and it was the only words she had said all day. Her slim figure was shrinking already as the pounds slowly slipped away. She turned over, away from his hurt face and faced the back of the couch. He was worried sick about her, and when he pressed more for her to eat she simply stood up and went to her room closing and locking the door behind her. Lui tried many times to pick the lock and turn the knob, but his efforts came up empty. Alice just lay on the bed and watched the clock tick minutes away silently. Eventually, long after Lui had given up in his pursuit, she fell asleep, she didn't even notice what time it was.

She was woken by a rasping noise coming from the living room. Alice rolled out of the bed and went over to unlock the door, glancing at the clock as she stepped into the hall. The noise stopped for moments and began again when she began heading towards the living room. The living room was just as she left it; except for Lui who had his wings covering his face asleep in a wet spot on the arm of the couch. He was fast asleep, and not even the rasping knocking on the front door was able to wake him up. She glanced out the big window lazily as the rasping stopped, but she could not see who it was.

She opened the door just as the visitor was about to knock again, and she barely had time to move out of the way as the figure with a pure black mask intruded upon her property. "Get dressed." He told her without looking at her.

"Excuse me?" She asked still holding the door open. "Leave. You will not walk into my house and tell me what to do. Plus I'm not in the mood to deal with people's bullshit."

"Yes, I know all about your great tragedy. Boo fucking hoo. Now go get in the shower, you're coming with me." he said putting emphases to make it clear he had no feeling for what had happened.

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Now get out of my damn house." Alice said pointing out the door.

Nate stepped closer, his face an inch from hers, and Alice couldn't help but notice his icy blue gaze. "You've got two options here. Either you come willingly, or I will drag you into that bathroom and bathe you myself, stick you in a pair of clothes and drag you with me. Your choice."

Alice glared at him, closing the door a moment before she spoke. "You can't force me to do anything."

"You wanna try me?" He said with a sly grin. "I always get what I want. Always."

"Get out of my house." Alice told him defiantly.

"Can't say I didn't warn you." Nate says grabbing her by the fore arm slowly dragging her with him in a fighting struggle. First he dragged her to her room where he pulled out her last pair of clothes: a pair of blue jeans, a sleeveless pink shirt and her sandals.

"Let go!" She screams at him. "LET GO! I'll go with you if you let GO!" She pleads horrified at the thought of him… she couldn't even complete the thought. He let go.

"Go take a shower. I'll wait for you by the door." He said as she grabbed her panties and a bra and then he followed her to the bathroom where he opened the bathroom door for her and glanced inside, probably to make sure there was no way of escape, like a window, which there wasn't. "We've got a half hour." he told her looking at his watch, which was new by the looks of it. "Hurry,"

As soon as Alice closed the bathroom door she locked it and sighed with relief. She leaned against the door hoping to wait him out. "Get in the shower and stop leaning against the door!" he shouted at her and she could hear the faint flutter of wings outside. She pushed off from the door, hoping he wouldn't barge in while she was _in_ the shower, or worse, _stepping_ _out_ of the shower. It took her nearly the entire thirty minutes to get ready, she knew because he would tell her how much time she had left every ten, and then when there wasn't enough to count by ten, he would count a five and then ones. She had, literally, seconds left before he was to zero. "Ready?" He asked with a smile glancing over her. Her hair was still a bit damp, but it fell straight past her shoulders.

"If you ask me that again, I'm going to slap you." She said as Lui landed on her shoulder. She felt much better after she had had a shower, like so much of her sorrow had been washed away, but not all of it.

"Damn, you're prickly when you're depressed." He said with a sly smile. "You smell good though, a much better improvement to horrid aroma of work sweet and despair you were giving off when I walked in." This time she did slap him. Hard. His mask slid to the side with the impact making a sharp noise that neither of them could describe. Behind her the tail on the belt she wore flicked from side to side like an agitated Kittyfloss's tail, but Alice didn't notice. She did notice how Lui turned around, lifted his tail feathers and let wind fly from his rear, right into Nate's face. Alice let a small smile crease her lips and a single shaky laugh. "Who knew a jerk could bring you out of such a depressed state." He said laughing.

"Why are you here?" she asked reverting back.

"Well, first, can I apologize? I'm not normally such a jerk, but you needed someone to help you get out of this foul mood your in. Oh, and why didn't you answer any of my calls?" he asked his face saddening at the thought and he busied himself with fixing his mask.

"Didn't feel like talking. Now will you tell me why you're here?"

"First and foremost, to get you out of the house. Which I have not yet succeeded in. Come on, otherwise we'll miss the best." He said holding out his hand. Alice ignored it and walked to the door. He stood there holding his hand out and when he realized she wasn't going to take it he dropped it and shook his head.

"Are we going or staying, because either way you're getting the hell out of my house. Oh, and if you dare to _ever_ lay a hand on me again or enter my bedroom I promise I will cut off your dick and shove it down your throat and your balls in your ears. AND I'll cut of your damn hands. Understood?" She said with a sly smile herself, and in that smile it told him everything he needed to know. She wasn't joking.

He gulped suddenly nervous, "Understood," he said as he followed her out and lead her up the wooden path/bridge and away from the village. Alice stood a moment looking at the ruin of her garden, she could practically feel her heart break again just at the sight of it and all the dread and sorrow slowly seeping back. It hadn't changed since Tuesday. She hadn't even bothered to head outside. The plants and crushed candy had already disappeared, possibly due to hungry piñatas scavenging for whatever food they could find, or maybe everything just decayed quickly on the island. Even her small pond close to the center of her garden was littered with debris. Alice couldn't stand it any longer, and she scurried off after Nate.

"Where are we going?" She asked, and her only response was, 'you'll see.' Lui and Alice looked at each other, but didn't say a word as they followed him.

On the way there Nate barely talked… to her. He was busy on his phone calling and talking to people mumbling a 'yes', 'no', 'the hell if I know' and a 'what the fuck are you talking about' on his walk. When they finally made it he smiled and hung up without even a good bye to whoever he was talking to. "We're here." he stated."

'Here' was at least a half mile away from the village, and the property probably measured the size of the village times two. There were tons of tracks, some big some small some somewhere in-between, concession stands and stall that gave off a sweet aroma of greasy foods, bleachers and benches for audiences, and trash, lots of it, scattered across the ground and stomped into the mud and between rocky cracks of pavement and gravel. Oh, and there were more people than anything else. There were more types of people than the tracks, food and trash combined and multiplied. "Welcome to Rattle Rush Racing." Nate said with another of his sly smiles. He stopped at the first stall and paid his and Alice's way in.

"Great, can I go home now?" She asked and asked, "What?" when she saw his started face.

"NO! You just got here! Plus, I've got money riding on one of these races, thousands in fact, and if I'm not here to claim it I'll lose it. Also, I think there might be someone here that you might want to meet." He said as a boy about Alice's age with a Shellybean curled around his shoulders came up to Nate. "Hello Sidos." He said with a smile, then corrected himself when the saw him frown, "Sorry, Seedos."

"Thank you." he said giving Nate a frustrated smile. "How do you think the polls will be today? Oh, who's your friend? Your latest girlfriend?" He said smiling. Alice shook her head as she stared over him. His mask was way too big for his head, and even though the weather was a bit warm he wore a big hiking pack on his back and a small red pouch at his side. He had huge teeth, but thankfully weren't pointed, that constantly showed and huge orange glasses.

~Seedos~

"Oh? Your not?" I asked amazed, then remembered what he had told me earlier before. This must have been the newcomer to the island, and the one my sister Leafos said woke up on the beach. "Are you perhaps Alice Royal?" When she nodded and Nate gave her his sly smile again I knew. If she wasn't his now, she would be soon. Somehow Nate always got everything he wanted, not quite sure how though. He had one of the most universal personalities on the island, and he has been known to… be, well, rough. "Well it's nice to meet you Alice." I smiled and held my hand out for her to shake as Millie, my newest Shellybean, moaned on my shoulder. She shook my hand and said something I would never have guessed her to. "Millie's hungry. You may want to feed her something soon." I just stared at her amazed by her yet again. I was also eager to get away, quickly. "Uh, yeah I know." I said taking a seed from my pouch and walked off without another word. When I was safely away from the two I looked at the seed, a fairly nice sized apple tree seed. I whispered comforting words to it before handing it over to my Shellybean and, having to look away, she crunched down on it. My heart nearly broke for the seed, but I valued my Shellybean much more than one single seed, I think…

By the time Millie had finished I had just caught site of Dastardos. "HEY!" I screamed to him running to meet him on my short stumpy legs. When I caught up to him he looked annoyed. "I finally found you." I panted before looking around. People had cleared a patch around him, like a bubble, and some were staring at me. I knew what they were thinking, but I didn't care. He was my brother, and not even a crowd is going to keep me away from him. He was my best friend; at least, I think he is.

"What do you want Sido… Seedos." he quickly corrected himself. I hated when people used my old name. "Where did you go anyway? To talk to Nate?"

"Yeah, and he's got a new girl… again." Seedos frowned.

"Seedos, your sixteen and a quarter, plus no one even likes you…" he trailed off turning and floating away clutching his whacking stick in his right hand, looking like he was getting ready to whack something.

"DASTARDOS! Not here!" I said when he realized he was heading for the small piñata that had fallen from somewhere and busted one of its legs open. I must have started some people, because the owner grabbed up her small Mousemallow and raced off. Dastardos moaned with annoyance and wanting. He hadn't been the same since the incident, the one he didn't like to talk about, and one of the reasons he hates Pester. He had become addicted to killing piñatas so much he didn't even notice he was about to.

"What?" He asked like he didn't notice a thing I had said. "You said something about Nate having another girl already? Who?"

"The new girl, Alice. You know the one who can talk to piñatas. Nate even told me she could. She even told me Millie was hungry. Creeped the seeds out of me."

"Alice? Alice… OH! Alice!" He said remembering her, I guess they had already meet, which didn't mean anything good. "Yeah, I know her. Pester destroyed her garden, not quite sure why. He was ranting on about how she was an imposter and how she was dead or something. She seems a bit familiar wouldn't you say?"

"No." I told him, "No she doesn't. What do you mean by familiar?"

"I don't know, like I knew her from somewhere, maybe a long time ago."

"Well I don't remember her." I stated.

"You probably weren't old enough to remember." He said floating off, taking the air cushion with him. I followed trying to learn and understand exactly what he meant.

~Alice~

Nate led Alice to the largest racing track of all of them. There racing as fast and hard as they could were horse related piñatas. Some were saddled, some weren't, but all had riders, or owners, on their back. The area was filled with cheering of numbers and names but what was said was lost to noise. The racers were just crossing the line when they got there. "Did you see what number won?" Nate asked her.

"Yeah, number forty-two. Why?"

"Because that is who I have money bet on. Come on. I'd like you to meet him." He said with a smile leading her to the gate where the racers were exiting from. There were reporters and people with notepads and cameras surrounding the winner and the losers, but as Nate made his way over they broke apart with their final thanks. "Alice I'd like you to meet Thomas. Thomas, this is my new friend Alice." He said standing in front of someone dressed in classic riding gear. Thomas had Ice blue eyes like Nate, but his seemed, kinder and stricter. He looked at Nate with a look of scrutiny.

"Hello." He said coolly. It was evident he didn't like new people. "Nate go collect your money, I've nothing to say to you. Ever." He said turning toward him and then back to Alice. "It's nice to meet you, but if you'll excuse me I must attend to my Horstachio. It's been a long race. You're welcome to follow though."

"Okay." She said confused. Nate had disappeared, and she had no idea what she should do so she just followed him. If she wanted to she could probably escape, but she couldn't remember which way the front gate was. The place was so confusing with all the tracks. "I take it you don't particularly like Nate? Why?"

"There are many reasons. The first of which only people like me will understand." He said glancing back at her and giving her a look, one that was hard to read. A tendril of his blond hair slipped out from under his helmet as he undid the latch and then the bunch of it fell as he removed it. His mask was simple, much like hers actually. It was a mask of a cat, and now that she looked, she could see his outfit rivaled her own. The same gloves, the same belt and mask. The only difference was that the color was white instead of black. "The second of which is that he thinks he owns the world." Thomas continued. "The third is that I just don't. He's not right. Something about him isn't natural or of this world. He could be an outsider, but I don't think that's it. What about you? You from the island?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No."

"How can you not know? You were either born here or you weren't." He said stopping. He began undoing the saddle of his Horstachio and took a carrot out of his belt and feed it to her. Alice looked around and realized he had led her to a stable, she also noticed no one else was around. The thought made her uncomfortable. "This is Starlight." He said petting the Horstachio on the head. "You can pet her if you like."

"I think I'm good." Alice told him keeping her distance. "And I don't know because I don't remember. Before you ask I… kinda woke up on the beach. I know I grew up here though." She said and quickly covered her mouth. She had left information slip from her mouth without even realizing it. Parry cocked his head to the side, understanding now how it was she remembered who he was.

"I take it you don't want anyone to know that you remember stuff from your past, correct?"

"Yeah. May I ask how old you are?"

"Sixteen, almost seventeen. Why? You're not going to ask me out or anything right?"

"No, I was just wondering."

"Good." He laughed with a smile that disappeared as Nate walked in. "You know if you want to talk later you can call me at this number." He said giving her his card. Why did he have a card? "Considering what you've already told me. Oh, and one more thing. Do you know Leafos? Wait, yeah I know, stupid question everyone knows Leafos. But if your friends with her I'd be careful of what I say to her, of what you tell her.

"Will do. Thanks."

"Anytime. You seem like the kind of person I'd be friends with. Just saying."

"Ready to go?" Nate asked

"Yeah, I'm ready to go home now. By Thomas."

"Bye," He said turning back to his Horstachio. Alice followed Nate out of the sable without a word.

"Did you get your money?" She asked a moment before she saw someone, someone who looked familiar.

"Yeah, Why?"

"Just wondering…" She said as the someone came into plain view. It was a pirate, but for some reason he looked familiar, but he didn't wear a mask. He had graying hair and beard, a bit on the chubby side to put it mild, cracked lips, probably from the salty sea air, and horrible grey eyes. She had seen that face before. Her head was beginning to hurt when he turned and looked directly at her, his eye twitching with hatred. She had defiantly known this man. He turned completely and a glimmer of metal caught her eye. He was flashing his dagger or knife or whatever it was at her.

She was feeling light headed when Nate asked, "You know that man? Alice? Are you okay?" The last thing she remembered was feeling a falling sensations and Nate saying "Shit!"

Alice woke up to Lui bouncing up and down on her shoulder like an excited little Bunnycomb trying desperately to wake her up. "Alice!" he squawked, "Alice, wake up!" She rolled over with a slightly dismissive moan as she flung her arm over the side of the bed. "Alice! Let's go play!" He shouted in her ear and she battered a lazy hand at him. "Please get up. Please!" he begged.

"Fine." She moaned throwing the blanket back. "Mom and Dad up?" she asked and Lui shook his head. "Let me leave a note," She said jumping out of bed, "Then we can go." She grabbed a scrap piece of paper and a pencil and began scribbling down an almost incomprehensible note. She didn't bother to change her clothes when she was finished, since she'd fallen asleep in her shorts, and left the note on the kitchen table before racing out the door with Lui on her heels, but neither noticed the note blow off the table and under the small wooden chest that housed the cookware.

The two enjoyed the cool morning air as they ran towards the north. They weaved in and out of the trees at the edge of the forest dodging low hanging branches and small shrubs. They made sure to keep the ocean in view as they ran so not to lose their way back home. It wasn't long before the two spotted something that hadn't been on the beach the day before.

The two hid behind a thick trunked tree peering around it to look at the sight. Banked in the shallows was a ship and a small group of men were walking around on the shore, but even at the distance it was clear more were on the ship. The memory shattered into fragments skipping time forward.

"What are they?" Alice asked peering behind a tree half hidden in a bush closer. She could hear them talking from here. She held the golden crown on a silver chain necklace her father had given her last year in her hands as she looked at the image upon the sails: a golden crown bleeding in the talons of a silver crow.

_Don't know…. Let leave_. Lui replied.

"We're pirates." A soft voice spoke to her. Alice gasped as she turned to look at him leaning as far away from him as possible and onto the tree. He had a white beard and graying hair, but was hardly old looking. He didn't wear a mask and his face was marred with scars, as were his arms. His piercing gray eyes stared at her and a smirk spread across his face. He held a finger up to his mouth making a shushing noise as his dagger reflected the sunlight back into her face. "Leave quickly before they see you. I'd hate to imagine what the would do should they find you. Go, now. Quickly and quietly."

"Are you talking to yourself again Rick?" One called from the beach.

"Yeah Wes. Don't mind me." He said walking right past her and onto the open shore.

Alice, heading his kind advice, turned to run. A snapping noise sounded through the air much louder than it should have been and Alice looked down to see her foot upon a broken stick.

"What was that?" Wes asked the others.

"Don't know, let's go find out." Another said. Alice ran from the shore and deeper into the forest. She knew she was making tons of noise but her only thought was getting away.

Time fractured forward. Alice slid under the hollow roots of an old Oak tree. They were right behind her and she was getting too close to the hut. She couldn't out run them and she didn't have time to climb, her only option was to hide. They shuffled through the forest, stopping in front of her spot mumbling and shouting at each other blaming everyone else for losing her. "Just keep looking!" Wes shouted above the other two. "She has to be here somewhere." Then they were shuffling off again in different directions. Alice peeked her head out to check the coast.

"FOUND HER!" a voice she didn't recognize shouted as he pulled her out by her collar. She did the first thing she thought of, she kicked backwards when he pulled her to his side. He doubled over letting go of her instantly to grab at his crotch. She ran to the nearest tree and began to climb hearing her own heartbeat and the rushing footsteps of the others coming to the one's scream.

"Fucking bitch!" He screamed at her as the others joined him.

"Where is she?" Wes asked. He was a thin stick-like fellow with dirty brown hair and stubble.

"Ran up the damned tree like a fucking rat." The man she kicked said looking up at her. He was puffier with sun burnt skin and strawberry blond hair. "I'll kill you for that, ya hear me!"

"Shut up No Beard." Wes said then looked up at her too. "Come down and we promise not to hurt you." Alice shook her head. "We only want to ask you some questions…."

Freighted Alice turned, stood on the edge of the branch and jumped. It was a good thing she knew the forest so well. She landed square on another limb and swung to the next hoping from branch to branch and tree to tree away from the men, ocean and home, deeper and deeper into the forest. They followed her as best as they could but the leaves camouflaged her from their sight. Slowly she made her way to the giant Oak tree, once there she could climb down the inside of the trunk and escape through the caves that lay underneath it. She only had to make it there and make the jump to the Oak tree.

Ten feet off the ground and only one jump and a swing to freedom a single sentence broke through her thoughts causing her to lose her focus on the jump. "Where'd the wench go?" They were right under her. _At least they would cushion my fall_, she thought as she realized a moment too late she jumped too short.

"There she is! Hey Wes you might wanna…" She crashed to the ground taking Wes with her, "Watch out…" No Beard remarked.

Time shattered.

"Alice!" Her mother screamed running for her only to be intercepted by pirates on each side. She was thrown over No Beards shoulder, and no matter how much she struggled to get free she couldn't Lui was unconscious on the beach and her father tied down to a tree to keep him from coming after the men and for her.

"MAMA!" Alice screamed punching No Beards back as hard as she could. The two pirates forced her mother to the ground as Wes stepped closer to her. He lifted her chin with his finger.

"Her too." Wes said and then began walking away. The two holding her mother smiled and laughed, making comments about having fun, and then they were forcing her to come with them as well.

"NO!" Alice's father shouted and struggled against the ropes that bound him in place. Alice struggled hard against her capture and somehow managed to kick him in the face. He released her and she fell to the ground. Alice made a break for her mother, who was struggling to get free from her captures as well but was grabbed by the ankle as No Beard wiped blood from his mouth.

"You fucking bitch. I've had quiet enough of you fighting me. We'll soon fix that though." He said pulling her though the sand by her foot. She clawed the sand trying desperately to get a grip and when that failed she grabbed a handful and threw it directly at his face. He screamed rubbing his eyes desperately trying to get his composure again. Alice ran to the first pirate that held her mother and began beating on his chest.

"LET HER GO!" She screamed in their faces and almost instantly she was snatched again by the back of the shirt by No Beard and backhanded across the face.

"Bitch."

"I'll fucking murder you!" Her father screamed and it was the first and last curse she ever heard her father utter. She blacked out after that.

She woke up again in her mother's arms stowed in the corner of the ship. The shore of the island was just barely visible. "Are you okay?" her mother asked. She nodded. She could make out a small figure floating its way to her. It got closer and closer by the second but it was slowing in speed too. Lui got so close to the ship when a gun fire was heard. Lui fell from the sky and into the water. Her mother held her closer as she began sobbing. They both knew their life was over now, and they would soon have to learn how to survive in this one.

"Come on, let's go." One of then said snatching her mother from her and began to forcefully pull her below deck.

"No!" Alice screamed clutching onto her mother, but was soon torn away from her left alone to weep by herself. She curled up into the fetal position as she cried. That was when Rick came to sit beside her.

"It's okay. Hey, it's going to be okay. I'm doing everything I can right now." He said as she flinched away from him. "I'm not going to let them hurt you." He said and slid her a dagger. "Keep this concealed, don't let any of them see you with it."

7

TRP_FD_C2


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